New Blockbuster Prototype Stores

Reader George lives near the new Blockbuster prototype stores, and sent in the following photo and observations:

The first thing that I noted was a sign right next to the drop box. It says “Coffee at 6am”. In my opinion, brilliant!!! How many companies have people come to their business location for a no-revenue dropoff? Not many, except Blockbuster. Now, when people drop off their video in the morning, they can pick up their latte and a video for that evening. A brilliant idea for getting people into the store.

Before I even got into the back, where the major renovation happened, I noticed that this Blockbuster no longer has the doubletrap doors. Much better for the handicapped, and for general traffic flow.

After we entered, you’ll notice just cleaner lines in everything. It’s all fresh, and fewer cheesy signs that look like their were made on someone’s inkjet. For example, the “Now Playing…” behind the checkout counter is all video screens now, instead of the old-fashioned stick-up letters.

After we checked out, the sales guy just handed me the videos without a need for placing them around a security buzzer. Dear Blockbuster, thank you for trusting me.

Now on to the new area. I was surprised at how much physical square footage that they devoted to this space. It really does look like an old-fashioned soda counter. Notice the red stools and the old-fashioned black and white checkered tiling on the floor … a good retro vibe. When I was there, I saw 4-5 tweeners and a mom buying soda water and perhaps other stuff.

Note the big cushy leather seating area with industrial carpet. Nowadays, with 3 toddlers, we are in and out of BB quickly. But in my non-kid days, I could easily see sitting down and waiting on gf/wife to pick out a movie while I had a coffee. Or sitting down with her and several movies to discuss which one(s) to get. The only problem I see here, is that there was just this one seating area. They need to go check out Starbucks to learn more.

In the image, you see about 60% of the length of the countertop area.

Now the picture isn’t very good, and I apologize for that. But see all of the red back there. That’s Coca-Cola red. I’d bet lots of dough that Coke is paying BB lots of money for this branding/advertising opportunity. Good for BB. Very smart.

As we checked out, I asked the young checkout guy what the reaction to the new “counter area” had been like. He said it was slow first, until people realized it was there. Now, its fairly busy with 3-4 customers on average back there.

Some demographics on the area: This store is right across from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and in a high net worth area with homes in the $800k-$2M range. Except for the SMU students, average household is probably Mom/Dad in their 40s with 2.5 kids, ranging from baby to high school.

What do you think of the new Blockbuster stores?

Comments

[phil enright sr]

these new guys running blockbuster are good, very good.....end of story.

So the new Blockbuster going to open at 6am? All the stores here don't open until 10am. Will they have new realeases ready by Tuesday 6am also? Just wonerdering.

[Simon]

Dunno why Blockbuster don't do what we do here in Melbourne .. just open a small footprint store and let people find their movies online: http://applebox.com.au . They do it at home, or in the store, and then pickup when they want.

[who cares]

a dinosaur with some fancy new clothes.

[Opening Manager]

I'm happy that it works in the test market but, as an opening manager at Blockbuster, I hope they don't bring this 6am open to every store! If my store opened at 6am, I would have to be at the store at 5am to get all the paperwork and such done. The biggest problem I have with this is that when the deposit is run to the bank in the morning, that's when we get our change for the day... Most banks don't open their doors until 8 or 9am, so the store would be open for a good 2 or 3 hours before we could go to the bank and get change so we'd have enough singles and fives to last the entire day? No way! The manager can't leave the store, and we can't send a CSR with the deposit. Please stay away, 6am open! Just one opening manager's opinion...

[vio]

They already did that Simon. It didn't work out to well. Blockbuster customers are too lazy and unmotivated to bother selecting movies online prior to visiting the store.

The fact that most Blockbuster customers(the ones that rent strictly in-store) can't even operate a computer also poses a problem. :)

[Simon]

wow - they tried that? Vio, if you can find a link or reference to some info on that, I'd be really interested .. I've never heard of Blockbuster running with this model (and can't find any mention of it myself)

[Tom]

"Dunno why Blockbuster don't do ... just open a small footprint store and let people find their movies online: http://applebox.com.au"

Blockbuster's online inventory is a mess and a total lie. Imagine if Blockbuster did this with the store inventory as well? Tell customer that a certain title is in the store, but when the customer arrived he is told that title is not in THAT store and that he ought to have a list of 30 titles anyway if he wants to rent something. See the problem?

[Simon]

yep .. this is why I can't imagine Blockbuster putting their in-store inventory online for store based web browse and book. It also means dropping customer physical pick so that stock numbers can be properly managed down to the last copy available (ie can't let someone pick it off the shelf and another book it online at the same time).

Their systems wouldn't support it and their franchises would have to buy in on the idea (although they could try it on one of their corporate held stores).

Why doesn't Blockbuster realize that they just need better movie selection and not fancy fireworks and Coke machines....all they need to do is have an inventory system that allows us to rent and return movies at a different Blockbuster and voila...they'd have a better selection...

[Jeff from Knowzy]

Cool. This is the first glimpse of a "Rock the Block" store I've seen.

I wasn't expecting the coffee/soda bar. I wonder if they'll compliment it with Wi-Fi.

6am does seem way too early to rent movies. But they are trying add more retail to their stores.

Nonetheless, I have trouble believing they will come out ahead in those four extra wee morning hours. They're never going to be Starbucks!

[ILoveRichardSimmons]

This article sounds like it was written by a Blockbuster employee. How convenient that the only thing the guy can find wrong with this Starbucks on steroids is that it doesn't have enough seating? Blockbuster cannot replace Starbucks, and 7-11 and still remain competitive in their BASE market of renting movies. At this point they should try focusing on getting that part right before embarking on indulgent renovation projects.

Total Malarkey.

[Virginia]

It looks like a lot of empty space, which means the selection in Blockbuster stores will be even more pathetic than it already is.

[BoB]

What is this "Blockbuster" you refer to? I wrote off a Blockbuster video rental enterprise years ago.

[Micheal]

It's funny how the Blockbuster haters can't find anything better to do than post about Blockbuster! The inventory is not smaller. They simply lowered the shelving in the non-newrelease area, and bookended the older films. That stuff doesn't rent as well as new releases anyway.

[Wolfeman]

I'm not anti-BlockBuster, I'm just anti-brick&mortar. There is no reason to go to a video store any longer and making it like a soda shop won't help much imho. I noticed the vending machine of $1 movie rentals at my local Acme gets more business than the BB at the same strip mall, so there is a chance having rentals in a store that offers other things is possible to pull of but I think they need to step it up even more, perhaps adding video games and lan parties??

[deckard68]

Maybe there's a coffee machine on a timer that starts up at 6am. He didn't say the store itself opens to do business (other than coffee) at that hour.

[Corey3rd]

they need to offer something seeing how gas is hitting $4 a gallon. In my area (Raleigh), Blockbuster has closed 3 of our nearest stores in the last few years. It's a 10 mile round trip to the last store in the area. I'm not going to make that trip just to dump off a single DVD and head home. "Is This Trip Necessary" is the new credo in America. on the other hand, quite a few of the grocery stores in the area now have Red Boxes.

[MitchSchaft]

*yawn*

Die, Blockbuster.

[Toejam]

"gas is hitting $4 a gallon" said corey3rd

Not that anyone should really care how much the Europeans pay for gas but I did a little calculation and found:

Currently 1-Euro = 1.56 U.S. dollars

Currently 1-liter of unleaded petrol (gas) in Ireland = 1-Euro & 28 cent

There are (approx) 3.8 liters in 1-U.S. Gallon

So 3.8 liters X 1.28 Euro = 4.9 Euro per 1-U.S. Gallon

4.90 Euro X $1.56 = $7.64 per U.S. gallon

OH. I forgot to mention, besides the normal high gas tax on Irish gas they also charge a 21% sales tax. All this is included in the posted price so the buyers don't realize they're being raped by their own government.

[Corey3rd]

Having grown up in West Germany, while the Europeans have always paid more for gas, they are also a culture that's based on walking, neighborhood action and mass transit. You can do quite well without a car in most of Europe. Plus the average commuter distance for folks in D.C., New York and LA would have them going across all of Benelux each day.

[qtgrl]

first of all if you have ever used red box you would know that, while you do only pay a dollar, your also charged a dollar every day there after. If you are the adverage movie renter your going to keep the movie longer than a day and end up paying more for the renal then you would at blockbuster. Thats if you don't keep it more that 30days, at which point you will be charged for a new movie.

[qtgrl]

first of all if you have ever used red box you would know that, while you do only pay a dollar, your also charged a dollar every day there after. If you are the adverage movie renter your going to keep the movie longer than a day and end up paying more for the renal then you would at blockbuster. Thats if you don't keep it more that 30days, at which point you will be charged for a new movie.