Blockbuster Opens Shipping Center in Hawaii

Blockbuster announced that they have opened a new shipping center in Oahu, Hawaii.

“Our goal is to provide one-day delivery whenever and wherever possible, and that’s why we’ve added this distribution center in Hawaii” said Rick Ellis, Vice President of Online Operations for Blockbuster. “We want subscribers in Hawaii and across the country to be able to watch the movies they order through our online rental service as quickly as possible.”

Netflix opened a shipping center in Hawaii in December, 2004.

Interesting tidbit from the press release: Blockbuster now has 39 shipping centers.

Thanks to Ray for sending this in.

Comments

[Marc Garvey]

"We want subscribers in Hawaii and across the country to be able to watch the movies they order through our online rental service as quickly as possible."

The best way to do that would be to alter the corporate throttling policy.

[kolohe61]

This could possibly tempt me to rejoin, but I doubt it.

[Old Timer Too]

Uh, I think that you have your companies mixed, Marc. NF is known for throttling. BB's throttling doesn't exist, but their screwed up queue "available" system looks like it.

I'll once again give the formula for avoiding the queue lock in BB: Move any and all "wait state" titles out of the top thirty, along with any titles that get passed over even though they are marked "available." Try the titles again later - like a month later, if you really want to see them.

Avoid having your returns hit a DC on Mondays as that is when their stock is the lowest (same is true of NF) and they have the highest number of titles to process. Any other day of the week will usually see titles turn the same day your return is logged in.

By "returns hit a DC," that also applies to store returns. Avoid turning in films on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. While they may have limited shipments on Saturday, it is strictly hit or miss. The best return days are Monday thru Thursday to the stores (for next day shipments).

This will be even more important to those living in Hawaii, since I doubt they will stock 70,000 different titles at that one center. Hawaii customers will be lucky to have 70,000 titles combined - It won't happen.

What may happen is a steady rotation of titles from the mainland based upon titles further down in people's queues, but that's a prediction based upon a conversation with a corporate officer that took place some time ago (shortly after Keyes took the center seat).

Old Timer Too said - "Avoid having your returns hit a DC on Mondays as that is when their stock is the lowest (same is true of NF) and they have the highest number of titles to process."

I don't know exactly why you've developed this theory...perhaps you've simply had bad luck...but I've never once, not once, ever, had a problem with my returns hitting NF's DC on Monday and then not getting something shipped back to me the same day. In fact, if I have any hope at all of seeing a new release, I absolutely must get my movies back to them on Monday, otherwise it will be weeks or months before I get that release I wanted. Plus, it's also important to remember, and maybe this is just my DC, but on Mondays the crews at NF arrive at work very early in the morning. I've had countless emails from NF on Monday mornings, pre-dawn, in the 3-5AM range, stating they've received a disc. They get up early and work more hours on Mondays to get that overflow processed.

You either have a crappy DC, Old Timer, or just bad luck.

Old Timer Too said - "Avoid having your returns hit a DC on Mondays as that is when their stock is the lowest (same is true of NF) and they have the highest number of titles to process."

I don't know exactly why you've developed this theory...perhaps you've simply had bad luck...but I've never once, not once, ever, had a problem with my returns hitting NF's DC on Monday and then not getting something shipped back to me the same day. In fact, if I have any hope at all of seeing a new release, I absolutely must get my movies back to them on Monday, otherwise it will be weeks or months before I get that release I wanted. Plus, it's also important to remember, and maybe this is just my DC, but on Mondays the crews at NF arrive at work very early in the morning. I've had countless emails from NF on Monday mornings, pre-dawn, in the 3-5AM range, stating they've received a disc. They get up early and work more hours on Mondays to get that overflow processed.

You either have a crappy DC, Old Timer, or just bad luck.

[Old Timer Too]

To clarify on hitting the DC with your returns on Monday - that information applies to BB, but it will also apply if you are in the "throttled" class of users in NF. The BB info came from an executive who was very helpful in understanding the workings of the business (from BB's point of view).

At one time (during the less than the full truth days of NF) I was one of the throttled at NF. I know that returns that landed at the DC on Monday had two things happen to them:

1. The titles were shipped from far, far away.
2. The titles were not shipped until the next day.

Since I have returned, and on an 8-out plan, I have consistently seen one title ship from a more distant DC when all 8 landed at the local DC on Monday. It didn't matter, because I tended to spread out viewing the titles anyway, so I didn't turn more than one a week per slot (if that).

Now that I'm on a 3-out plan, I'm not seeing any delays, even when the returns hit the DC on Monday.

Luck? I really don't think so. A lot depends upon numbers.

So...
With BB, expect lower levels of shipments on Mondays.

With NF and higher plans, expect one (or maybe two) delayed shipments on Mondays.

I'm not knocking either company, just passing on some sage advice based upon conversations with people who know...

[Edward R Murrow]

Old Timer Too: "Now that I'm on a 3-out plan, I'm not seeing any delays, even when the returns hit the DC on Monday"

As a test, put lots of new releases at the top of your Netflix queue and see if any delays happen on Monday.

[Old Timer Too]

"As a test, puts lots of new releases..."

Why? The same thing will happen with either company (be in or go into a wait state) and besides, if there is a new release I want, I buy it the week it releases.

By the way, I've found that NF typically sends me new releases when BB doesn't.