It has been said before that everything comes back around. Fashion, music, style; what is old is new. Bell-bottoms seemed like a relic of the 1970s until just a few years ago. Vinyl albums outsold compact discs for the first time since 1987 last year. So, what is next in terms of the big comeback?
If adults of a certain age get their wish, it will be Blockbuster. Yes, the same corporate giant that got so big it devoured itself in greed and avarice, refusing to adjust to the upstart Netflix and the streaming industry. Years later, with only one Blockbuster store left in Bend, Oregon, 90s babies are abuzz with the possibility of a resurrected Blockbuster.
Cryptic messages on the newly reactivated corporate webpage have stoked interest in 30-somethings that are leading them to rush out to the Goodwill and try to find a DVD player. The Daily Wire reports:
Nostalgic fans got a thrill this week when they noticed Blockbuster Video reactivated its website, leading social media users to speculate that the movie rental company was staging a comeback.
Blockbuster.com currently has a cryptic message posted that says, “We are working on rewinding your movie.”
“New business idea: We’re going to come back as a bank and use VHS and DVDs as currency. Time to go visit your mom,” the company tweeted on March 15.
“Our 2023 New Year’s resolution was to reopen Blockbuster but it seemed like a lot of work so we quit. Should we start going to the gym instead?” the account joked in January.
Every kid that stalked the aisles on Friday night, mom and dad in tow, trying to decide what video game and movies to get, got all misty-eyed at the very suggestion that the rental chain might make a comeback.
And why not? Nostalgia sells. The kids that stalked those aisles now have kids of their own, and they want nothing more than to relive the best parts of their youth. What was better than snacks and movies from Blockbuster? The economy is crumbling, the world is uncertain, and many of these young adults are scared. They crave comfort and better times, and Blockbuster represents both.
Blockbuster Video website update stokes speculation that comeback may happenhttps://t.co/9OVg3HqMEk
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) March 27, 2023
Blockbuster killed their own business model with greed regarding late fees, and an unwillingness to accept streaming as a possibility. They famously laughed the founders of Netflix out of their offices when the streaming infant offered to sell out to Blockbuster. Now, they could realistically be poised to make a comeback. Fans are begging for brick and mortar stores. The Daily Wire continued
Some fans were thrilled with the idea of Blockbuster staging a comeback.
“@blockbuster are you coming back? I promise to break up with @netflix if you do! I’m using my mom’s password anyway,” one person shared.
“The Blockbuster website is alive?? if they make a comeback in ANY way I will cry,” another fan agreed.
“Some of my favorite childhood memories were going to Blockbuster on a Friday night,” a third person wrote.
It could happen! Nostalgia sells. Obviously, it would have to be done in a throwback manner. People will need to be taken back to their childhood, all the way back to the smells, colors, snacks, and sounds. On a limited basis, a resurrection of Blockbuster could work. It is worth a try, and could rejuvenate the DVD rental industry and help usher in simpler times, even if it wasn’t that long ago.
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