Blockbuster

Forgotten Shops · 1985–2010

Published

Blockbuster turned choosing a film or game into a trip to the shop. Customers browsed physical shelves, picked what they wanted to take home and returned it after the rental period. The business began renting films in 1985 and had grown to about 9,000 stores by June 2004.

Why It Mattered

Before streaming made huge libraries instantly available, Blockbuster offered a local place to discover and borrow entertainment. Its stores made browsing part of the experience, while the company’s move into DVD-by-mail in 2004 showed that the way people accessed films was already changing.

Retail service

- Stores rented and sold movie and game entertainment. - Blockbuster's 2005 Form 10-K dates its predecessor's entry into movie rental to 1985. - The 2004 prospectus records approximately 9,000 locations, including company-operated and franchised stores.

Changing delivery

- Blockbuster launched an online DVD-rental service in August 2004. - The service mailed DVDs under a monthly plan alongside the store business.

Bankruptcy record

- Blockbuster Inc. and certain US subsidiaries filed Chapter 11 petitions on 23 September 2010. - Foreign subsidiaries were not included in that filing.

Associated With

Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation - creator or operator, brand

Defining Feature

Physical stores renting and selling films and video games

Status

Defunct - Blockbuster Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection on 23 September 2010

Primary Records

- **Blockbuster Inc. 2005 Form 10-K** - **Blockbuster Inc. 2004 prospectus** - **Blockbuster Inc. Form 8-K reporting Chapter 11 filing**

Image Sources

- All one image sources are not yet verified — editorial review required.

Rights Notice

Images are included for historical and archival reference. Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.

Gallery

Interior of a Blockbuster video store with long shelves of rental cases, a customer in the central aisle and the blue-and-yellow sign overhead.
Source
Credit

Photograph reproduced by The Scroller; original photographer not identified

Licence

Historical Ephemera

Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.

Caption

Blockbuster's shelves made choosing a film a physical browsing ritual, with rows of rental cases standing in for the menus and recommendations of later streaming services.