And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

Blockbuster UK have called in the administrators

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21047652

My thoughts are with the 4,000 staff they employ

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Not really surprised. I was in one of their branches last week and it was all very shabby & disorganised. More like a jumble sale than a shop. :(

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Again its not a surprise buts its all very sad and the question is who is next to bite the dust.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Can't say it's a surprise either, but they did some great offers on used games and the staff at my nearest branch were always good.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Given that in the last yhear it's been impossible to avoid ads for the various streaming services both from standalone suppliers such as netflix, but also from the on demand type TV providers including Sky, BT and VM one wondered how much life there would be in the DVD rental market, needing expensive shops and staff. Even the ads for the send and receive DVD rentals by post have been superceded by the streaming systems.

The pace of technology will continue to change our purchasing habits, and nobody can sit on their laurels.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I was wondering the other day if this was going to happen anytime soon as I had been in to buy a particular game but neither of my two local branches had been re-stocked since before Christmas, all they had were rental copies. Maybe their suppliers had been holding back deliveries? I guess that just leaves the supermarkets and whatever independent retailers that have survived for anything entertainment related.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I thought they'd already gone under :/

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

We were talking about this over dinner at work and the odds on favourite to be next is Dixon's :shocked:

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Perhaps we should be making a list of who is not likely to go into administration.

It will be a short list I suggest with the banks at the top.;)

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Really?? They already closed all stores and are online only.

Shame about Blockbusters but then with online rental companies now ten a penny its not surprising really.

£5 for a DVD over night or 3 nights when £6 gets you unlimited streaming or £10 gets you unlimited DVD rentals posted out to you, not a tough choice really.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

No perhaps Currys/PC World could be next.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Dixons is the name of the company that owns PC World & Currys, they have started bucking their ideas up on pricing (IMO) so I don't expect them to go soon.

Regardless, the waste material is certainly hitting the fan at an alarming rate.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Its not actually its the DSG Retail Group that own them all, however it seems that they have now changed their name to Dixons Retail. Also the Dixons site now redirects to the currys one.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Yeah the D in DSG has always been Dixons (Sales Group, I'd imagine).

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I thought most of their stores were being dual branded anyway?

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

:shocked: I hope I get my £2 deposit back for GTA V :mad: ;) only £2 :dozey:

Joking apart my local one is always busy :shocked:

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Dixons became Currys.Digital which became Currys PC World, other stores stayed as separate ones (AFAIK).

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

They have stores in airports, Manchester airport has one or did have last time i went through duty free

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

The one in the Manchester Arndale that was Dixons and then Currys.Digital is now 'Currrys PC World' http://www.manchesterarndale.com/sto...=CurrysPCWorld

Maybe it's only some of them

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Yeah, high street & shopping malls are former Dixons so both, retail parks being the single ones.

---

On the topic of more redundancies, Staples are closing 20+ stores soon too.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Wouldn't surprise me as I went in there on saturday to by a Blu-ray player and the model I wanted wasn't there and the shelf was almost empty.

It seems to me they have only display stuff.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Everyone knows that Game is going to be next, it's just a matter of time before their new owners give in like they did with Comet and MFI

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Dixons Group are probably doing alight judging by their Christmas Sales results up over 7% http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21055640

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Wonder how much that was down to the lack of Comet as competition?

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Indeed Ben you have hit the nail on the head.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

But as one retailer goes, it could create opportunities for those that remain to get a little stronger as the consumer choice reduces? Thus one would hope Dixons group are in a better place with comet gone, indeed at one point they were creating special recruitment drives for ex comet staff as those staff might already have knowledge of similar products.

Game group could benefit from HMV closure. There are now less high street stores selling anything other than the latest chart games. There seems to be, at least until the next generation of consoles where there might be some sort of transfer rights protection, a strong second hand, trade in, of old stuff that they do quite well. But Game are no doubt more threatened by many by increased download sales of software.

I suspect though for much of the high street, the problem is getting the consumer to see that the high street is not just for browsing and then buying it cheaper online. The high street needs to find a way that customers perceive any extra cost due to the store overhead is also added value to the customer service. Price alone won't be enough. Customer attitudes will need to change that if we are getting advice on what to purchase, we are having to pay in some way for that advice.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I think the hybrid approach is the way it's going to be going forward i.e. use the shops as a browsing / collection link to your webspace.

I appreciate that it will have to mean that the prices between buying in store and via the website would have to be the same, but surely that's been have the problem as to why everything has moved online in the first place?

It's basically what Apple and Microsoft do with their stores anyway, plus Next do it to a certain extent

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I think one of the biggest things to impact everything is car parking. and car parking charges.
you can't go anywhere without having to find somewhere to park and having to pay to park.
even great big hospitals are designed to make it as difficult as possible to get there in a car. it's alright getting there in the car. it's just what do you do with the car once you get there. and how much it costs to park the bloody thing.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I'm very Surprised they lasted this long. I cart see them finding a buyer. But it does mean anorther empty store on the high streets. :( so many stores are going and they all are top names ones you would had thought would had never had gone

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

Mothercare aren't looking too good .I reckon the only companies going to do good this year are the likes of Deloit ,price waterhouse cooper ........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18186466

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

I thought they'd already gone bust years ago.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

You've hit the nail on the head, car parking charges.

My local cost 80p for two hours Mon - Fri, and £1.30 for two hours on Sat, it was £1.20 on Sat, but they put sensors in the bay so you don't need to return to your car.

I hate pay and display with a vengeance (you either end up paying to much or end up running back to the car like a madman to avoid the rip off parking fine.) just employ some one to sit in a box to take cash, rather than them walking around the car park.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21912508


Some good news at last today.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

Sadly it didn't last.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24730726

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

No surprise there as the market makes them a total irrelevance now as we are in a total different world from when they were at their height.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

they need to rethink their pricing

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

Your observation is spot on Den.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2013/11/37.jpg
http://kotaku.com/a-guy-had-to-prote...ps4-1459160805

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/polopol.../342167726.jpg
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/ca...wins-1.1096339

---------- Post added at 17:25 ---------- Previous post was at 17:23 ----------

Blockbuster US is pretty much dead...

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

I remember when they charged 3.99 for a game rental for a few nights and a fiver for a week. I then remember when they upped the price to 7.99 for 2 nights. They can't be that shocked they've sunk themselves. They can blame Internet sales all they want buy their prices went full idiot mode.

I also wonder why anyone would pre order a new console with these clowns.

Re: And now Blockbuster UK (update).
 

You'd pay £450 for something from a company fresh out of administration that hadn't changed anything and was still losing more money than it was making?

Seems the purchaser had Randy Marsh syndrome at the time of purchase.