Starting Monday, just one Blockbuster area will stay open in the United States.
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The last 2 Blockbuster shops in Alaska will close Monday, leaving just one area still running in the United States.
The video rental business utilized its Facebook page to reveal the closures of its College Road shop in Fairbanks and its Debarr Road shop inAnchorage The shops will resume on Tuesday to sell its stock up until completion of August.
“It is sad to say goodbye to our dedicated customers. We have thought of you as family for the past 28 years, ” composed district supervisor Kelli Vey and basic supervisor KevinDaymude “We hope to see you at our stores during the closing, even if it’s just to say ‘Hello.’ What a great time to build your media library and share some Blockbuster memories with us.”
The closures leave the Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, as the business’s sole area in the nation.
“It might end up being a little chaotic for a couple of weeks,” the Bend shop’s basic supervisor, Sandi Harding, informed the Associated Press.
“We have no plans on closing anytime soon,” she included.
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Blockbuster stores meet their end
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In April, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver fought to keep the Alaska stores open by donating props from Russell Crowe movies to them. The items included a jockstrap from Cinderella Man, a hood from Robin Hood and a vest from Les Miserables.
At the time, Daymude told Hollywood Reporter that they were “very honored to showcase that collection.”
The Crowe memorabilia won’t be included in the auction, Blockbuster Alaska said. Instead, those items will go to franchise owner Alan Payne.
It was believed the Alaska stores might survive due to the high cost of internet service in the state, which prompted many residents to continue using physical media instead of streaming, the Anchorage Daily News noted in 2017.
In 2004, Blockbuster was at its peak, with 60,000 employees and 9,000 stores worldwide, according to the International Business Times. At the time, its market value was $5 billion and revenues were $5.9 billion.
Its fortunes changed in 2010, when it filed for bankruptcy. Three years later, parent company Dish announced plans shut down all remaining company-owned Blockbuster stores in the US by January 2014 due to increased competition from streaming services, but some locations held out as franchises.
Updated at 10:12 a.m. PT: Clarifies the fate of the Russell Crowe items.
