It is a typical Friday night of the 1990s. The sun sets and the lights of the rental company Blockbuster come on. The space gradually becomes a vibrant meeting point for film lovers – groups of friends, couples, teenagers. Among corridors with shelves full of VHS and DVD movie, employees offer help and movie recommendations. Those who are there want to guarantee the fun of the weekend, in front of television and sitting on the couch.
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One of the largest movie rental chains in the world, the Blockbuster marked an era in the way people consumed entertainment. Founded in 1985 by David Cook in Dallas, Texas, Blockbuster emerged at a time when the movie rental market was on the rise. The place is designed to offer an organized and attractive shopping experience with a variety of titles.
Blockbuster’s store concept included an illuminated environment, well -organized shelves and a vast selection of VHS movies, which were the predominant format at the time. During the 1990s, Blockbuster experienced a explosive growth. The company has expanded rapidly, opening thousands of stores in the United States and countries around the world, such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia – and also in Brazil.
In 1994, Blockbuster had even had 3,500 stores. The company launched loyalty programs and promotionsoffered video games and a catalog system that facilitated the search for titles. Another Blockbuster innovation was an option for movie reservations that allowed customers to secure copies of popular releases before release.
Blockbuster’s gold era, however, began to crumble in the 2000s, with the emergence of new technologies and business models. The DVD, with better image and sound quality, began to replace VHS, and online rental companies, such as Netflixbegan to gain popularity.
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Netflix, which began as a DVD rental service, offered a convenient alternative that allowed subscribers to rent movies without leaving home. In addition, the advent of video broadcast on the internet and streaming It began to change the way people consumed content, reducing the demand for physical rental of films.
To adapt to these changes, Blockbuster has launched its own Online lease In 2004, but failed to compete with Netflix and other emerging services. Despite efforts to modernize, Blockbuster did not follow the pace of changes in the entertainment industry.
In 2010, the company filed bankruptcy due to increasing debts. In 2013, Blockbuster announced that it would close most of its remaining stores and online rental service.
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Despite the collapse, Blockbuster left a lasting legacy in pop culture and entertainment industry. The brand and the concept of movie rental are still reminded with nostalgia by many who grew up attending their stores. In 2020, only A blockbuster store remained open in Bend, Oregonwhich became a tourist attraction.
THE HISTORY OF BLOCKBUSTER IN BRAZIL
Blockbuster arrived in Brazil in 1997 and quickly became one of the country’s leading film rental companies, with a proposal to offer a similar lease experience to that of the United States.
The first store was inaugurated in São Paulo, and expanded to other major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Brasilia. The company reached the peak of approximately 200 stores in Brazil in 2004.
