Blockbuster first came to the UK in 1989, offering Brits the chance to browse their latest stock of films on-demand.
In the UK, we have seen the rise and fall of many popular retailers, from Woolworths to Wilko. But one that brings back all the nostalgic feelings is Blockbuster, a time before streaming services dominated cinemas and DVDs.
Thousands of Brits will remember trawling through shelves looking for the latest Friday night watch.
Blockbuster was an American rental store chain that made it to the UK in 1989, before its initial collapse in 2013.
The chain started as a video rental shop, before stocking video games and DVDs, before eventually offering streaming and video on demand.
But the chain, founded by David Cook in 1985, struggled to compete against the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime and was forced to cease operations.
Here, we take a look back at the history of movie rentals and how DVDs and videos became something of the past.
Rise and fall of movie rentals
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Blockbuster began game and DVD trading in selected US stores in 1985, opening its first standalone store in Dallas, Texas, on October 19, with 8,000 VHS and 2,000 Beta tapes.
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By 1988,Blockbuster had 800 stores and was the most popular chain in the US.
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Blockbuster opened in the UK in 1989, after buying Ritz Video.
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There were three major video rental stores in the 1990s: Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and Movie Gallery – with Blockbuster being the most popular.
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In 2000, Netflix co-founders Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph allegedly offered Blockbuster’s chairman and CEO, John Antioco, a 49% stake in Netflix for $50 million, but were turned down.
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Ironically, Netflix and other streaming channels have been blamed for Blockbuster’s demise
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At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster had more than 9,000 stores worldwide employing around 84,300 people.
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In 2010 Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy, with Dish Network buying its remaining 1,700 stores in 2011.
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In 2013 there were over 500 Blockbuster locations in the UK, but in December all stores ceased operations.
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In 2019 there was only one franchised Blockbuster store open, in Bend, Oregon, USA, which is now a popular tourist destination.
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In 2023, the Blockbuster website was reactivated with a message that said “We are working on rewinding your movie” fuelling rumours of a comeback. But it was a joke.
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Last year the company also joked about reopening in a tweet saying: “New business idea. We’re going to come back as a bank and use VHS and DVDs as currency.”
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Between 2008 and 2017 the combined value of physical video sales and rentals in the UK fell from £1.7 billion to £0.5 billion.
