New, bad change for Blockbuster online members

[lovesmurfs]

Yes, but I not in the way you mean, I believe. (Employing 20/20 hindsight...) Blockbuster did two things wrong, imho: First, they didn't sell-off their local store division. They should have found some sap to buy it from them, and forcing the buyer to not use the Blockbuster name. They would have gotten a lot less for the chain that way, but it would have keep the Blockbuster name from getting sullied when the local stores division crashed and burned, something that was inevitable due to external factors, i.e., radical changes in consumer demand. Second, they focused more energy on offering premium services, which a budget-conscious customer wouldn't adequately value (such as unlimited exchanges, no 28 day wait after release, etc.), instead of focusing on following the path toward the more cost-conscious ways of doing business, such as subscription streaming.

Good points. I think Blockbuster really shot itself in the foot by doing nothing more than getting on the "Netflix" bandwagon, playing copycat instead of developing and following a strong, strategic, and viable business plan that works for ITS business. Offering premium services is fine, if it has defined its market as those who value premium services. Its "plan" tried to be all things to all people, which, as the Aesop's fable about the man, his son, and the donkey demonstrates, doesn't work:

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey​

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them
and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See
that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom
said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to
the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said:
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey with you and your hulking son?"

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied
the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met
them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end
of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together, he was drowned.

"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them: "Please all, and you will please none."

 

[Octoberbride03]

Good points. I think Blockbuster really shot itself in the foot by doing nothing more than getting on the "Netflix" bandwagon, playing copycat instead of developing and following a strong, strategic, and viable business plan that works for ITS business. Offering premium services is fine, if it has defined its market as those who value premium services. Its "plan" tried to be all things to all people, which, as the Aesop's fable about the man, his son, and the donkey demonstrates, doesn't work:

And lately we've noticed that it has jumped on the "Redbox" bandwagon as well. Around here we have seen a few Blockbuster boxes at some local gas stations. We haven't bothered to play with the box to see what the terms are, but will just stick with Redbox when we feel like renting. We don't rent often enough to go back to Netflix which we loved when we had it. Maybe someday we'll go back to that.

Blockbuster has had some very odd ideas lately, not the least of which was trying to buy Circuit City. Don't know what they were thinking with that 1. I give it another 2-3yrs before they are gone completely and that's optimistic. The business model for renting/selling movies is just changing way too drastically.