[opendtv] Blockbuster Tries a Remake as Movie-Rental Business Transforms
- From: Monty Solomon <monty@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: undisclosed-recipient: ;
- Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 01:20:40 -0400
Blockbuster Tries a Remake as Movie-Rental Business Transforms
By GERALDINE FABRIKANT
July 26, 2004
On a recent weeknight, Andy Landsman, a lanky, dark-haired Manhattan
high school senior, was checking out the DVD rentals at a Blockbuster
store on Manhattan's Upper East Side that he and his girlfriend,
Georgina Blackett, frequent.
But Mr. Landsman's regular visits may soon be coming to an end. "I've
been too lazy to join Netflix, but I am about to sign up,'' he said,
referring to the online video-rental service. The reason for his
change of heart is his purchase of a DVD player, which has increased
his appetite for watching films. The idea of not leaving the comfort
of his living room to pick them up is increasingly appealing.
Although analysts have been predicting the collapse of video-rental
chains for years, the departure of the teenager, Mr. Landsman, from
Blockbuster's active customer base of 20 million is a particularly
foreboding one.
The rise of online rental services like Netflix and the booming sales
of DVD's at mass merchants have been eroding profitability at
Blockbuster and other chains. And as cable operators put their
marketing clout behind video-on-demand offerings, which allow
customers to rent a movie by pushing a few buttons on their remotes -
and not worry about late fees or schlepping DVD's back to the stores
or the post office - the pressure appears more acute than ever.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/business/media/26blockbuster.html
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