So long Blockbuster...

[freeradical]

Marc Anthony wrote:
[quote=freeradical]
[quote=Marc Anthony]
The local Blockbuster has dropped their prices to $2 for new releases and $1 for "favorites", which is to say everything older than new releases. I've started renting movies again with increasing regularity. I'd much rather drive down the block to rent a movie instantly than to have to wait on one in the mail, and it keeps people employed, unlike these automated box things that are popping up. Kiosk style checkout—be it at a rental counter, the grocery store, or Home Depot—is putting real people out of work, and I don't want anything to do with that, especially given the current economic climate. I hope BlockBuster can ride out their hard times.

How are these things doing that? Someone has to build those kiosks, install and maintain them, as well as add and remove movies from them.
Yes, there is some level of employment generated from kiosk point of sale devices, but the number of people they displace is a level greater, resulting in a net job loss. Surely you don't believe that the Red Box operation can compare to Blockbuster in terms of scale?
To be honest, it really doesn't bother me if there are job losses if Blockbuster ceases their brick and mortar operations. If this happens, it means that their business model is flawed. In any case, the purpose of a business is to provide goods and services that consumers want, not to provide employment.

[Racer X]

Buzz wrote:
maybe BB needs to come up w/ streaming video on demand paradigm to stay afloat...

they already offer either download or streaming as an option for at least some of the movies. never looked into it though. Not interested in that.

[kj]

freeradical wrote:
To be honest, it really doesn't bother me if there are job losses if Blockbuster ceases their brick and mortar operations. If this happens, it means that their business model is flawed. In any case, the purpose of a business is to provide goods and services that consumers want, not to provide employment.

One could look at it as a very mild form of welfare to keep people employed for a small reduction in value. I don't usually look at it that way, but one could. kj.

[deckeda]

Speaking as someone who's about to be laid off because a more efficient way of doing what I do is coming down the pike, I nevertheless also agree with freeradical. Businesses are only worthy when they have customers, not employees.

I'm sure that in previous generations, some other service industry went away that in some indirect way enabled retail video stores to thrive. BB had to get employees from somewhere other than merely population growth.

The trick for any of us staying relevant, and often we can't see where the next step is before taking it. The fear is real, palpable.

[pixelzombie]

if they started renting porn, i'd consider BB again...