Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Meta

Archive for the ‘Blockbuster Video’ tag

Blockbuster Video, 399 Silver Bluff Road (Aiken) : March 2012   29 comments

Posted at 11:20 pm in closing

12 March 2012:

p1030863_tn.jpg

p1030864_tn.jpg

p1030865_tn.jpg

p1030866_tn.jpg

p1030867_tn.jpg

p1030868_tn.jpg

p1030869_tn.jpg

p1030870_tn.jpg

p1030871_tn.jpg

p1030872_tn.jpg

p1030873_tn.jpg

p1030874_tn.jpg

11 March 2013:

p1170088_tn.jpg

p1170089_tn.jpg

11 March 2014:

p1120595_tn.jpg

p1120596_tn.jpg

p1120597_tn.jpg

p1120598_tn.jpg

p1120599_tn.jpg

p1120600_tn.jpg

I took an annual trip to Aiken last week, and was amazed at the amount of storm damage over there. I had though all the "worst tree kills since Hugo" headlines were a bit of hyperbole since I didn't see anything like that here in Columbia.

Not that that has anything to do with this post. While I was there I also noticed that the Blockbuster in the Bi-Lo parking lot on Silver Bluff Road is finally getting a new tenant. Given how many Blockbuster closings I've done here, I figured I might as well add this one too. (Eventually, I'll get the Litchfield Beach store as well).

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Updating tags, adding map icon.

Written by ted on March 16th, 2014

Tagged with , , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video, 4450 Rosewood Drive: Early January 2014   31 comments

Posted at 12:37 am in closing

p1090247_tn.jpg

p1090248_tn.jpg

p1090249_tn.jpg

Another day, another Blockbuster. I guess it's too late to change their pre-printed banners which continue to say This Location Only..

This particular storefront is on the tail-end of Rosewood, in a little strip which has now had the misfortune to have bet on two outlets for now defunct media formats.

UPDATE 26 November 2013 -- Here are some daylight pix:

p1090281_tn.jpg

p1090282_tn.jpg

p1090283_tn.jpg

p1090284_tn.jpg

p1100260_tn.jpg

p1100261_tn.jpg

p1100262_tn.jpg

p1100263_tn.jpg

p1100265_tn.jpg

UPDATE 14 January 2014:

Say Goodnight Gracie.

"Goodnight Gracie!"

p1110533_tn.jpg

p1110538_tn.jpg

p1110543_tn.jpg

p1110544_tn.jpg

p1110545_tn.jpg

p1110546_tn.jpg

p1110547_tn.jpg

p1110548_tn.jpg

p1110549_tn.jpg

p1110550_tn.jpg

p1110551_tn.jpg

p1110552_tn.jpg

p1110553_tn.jpg

p1110554_tn.jpg

p1110555_tn.jpg

p1110558_tn.jpg

p1110559_tn.jpg

p1110560_tn.jpg

p1110561_tn.jpg

p1110562_tn.jpg

p1110563_tn.jpg

p1110564_tn.jpg

p1110565_tn.jpg

p1110566_tn.jpg

UPDATE 15 May 2017 -- It appears this storefront now has a permanent occupant, Colonial Healthcare:

p1410873_tn.jpg

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Changing name in post title to "Blockbuster Video" from "Blockbuster". Updating tags. Adding map icon.

Written by ted on November 23rd, 2013

Tagged with , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video, 7249 Saint Andrews Road: December 2013   18 comments

Posted at 12:44 am in closing

p1090191_tn.jpg

p1090188_tn.jpg

p1090189_tn.jpg

p1090190_tn.jpg

p1090192_tn.jpg

Well, as we've discussed recently, Blockbuster, at least as a physical store, is on the way out. The parent company, Dish Network is shuttering the chain, basically, due to the rise of Internet video. The last Blockbuster movie rental, 'This Is The End', was on Saturday in Hawaii.

I'm not sure how long the clearance at the remaining stores will go on. It's possible this Irmo store is already closed, as these pictures were taken a week ago now, and I haven't been back by. This location joins a long list of Columbia area Blockbusters which have featured here. And Rosewood will be up as soon as I get the chance to get some pictures there.

UPDATE 26 January 2014 -- Well, that's it, as seen in this pix from 12 Jan:

p1110482_tn.jpg

p1110483_tn.jpg

p1110484_tn.jpg

p1110485_tn.jpg

p1110487_tn.jpg

p1110488_tn.jpg

p1110489_tn.jpg

p1110490_tn.jpg

p1110491_tn.jpg

p1110492_tn.jpg

p1110493_tn.jpg

p1110494_tn.jpg

p1110496_tn.jpg

p1110497_tn.jpg

p1110498_tn.jpg

p1110499_tn.jpg

UPDATE 12 February 2016 - As mentioned in the comments, this whole store has now been subdivided and re-purposed:

p1300026_tn.jpg

p1300027_tn.jpg

p1300028_tn.jpg

p1300029_tn.jpg

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Change name in post title from "Blockbuster" to "Blockbuster Video". Update tags, add map icon. Changing closing date from "Real Soon Now" to December 2013.

Written by ted on November 19th, 2013

Tagged with , , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video, 509 West Main Street (Lexington): March 2013   10 comments

Posted at 11:46 pm in closing

p1160977_tn.jpg

p1160975_tn.jpg

p1160976_tn.jpg

p1160978_tn.jpg

p1160979_tn.jpg

p1160980_tn.jpg

p1160982_tn.jpg

p1160983_tn.jpg

Well, this has already been talked about enough that I'm not sure who the hat-tip goes to, but I finally got over to Lexington last weekend and got some shots of the Main Street Blockbuster closing down. It was already pretty near the end-days, and as I watched, I saw a guy walk out and hoick a set of display racks into his truck.

I was also in Aiken this week, and the Blockbuster there which closed about this time last year is still vacant despite being in a pretty good spot..

UPDATE -- the place is still vacant:

p1050419_tn.jpg

p1050420_tn.jpg

p1050421_tn.jpg

UPDATE 4 March 2014 -- This shot is through a windshield and from too far away, but you can see this building is now a Pet Supermarket:

p1120295_tn.jpg

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Changing name in post title from "Blockbuster" to "Blockbuster Video", updating tags, adding map icon.

Written by ted on March 12th, 2013

Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video, 2419 Broad River Road: 24 March 2013   16 comments

Posted at 1:18 am in closing

p1160412_tn.jpg

p1160413_tn.jpg

p1160415_tn.jpg

p1160416_tn.jpg

I've done so many closings on Blockbusters that it's hard to believe there are still some around. It's kind of like finding one of those prehistoric fish that get dredged up every now and then. This one is on Broad River Road near the old G-E-X, and is already having their final clearance sale. It's amazing how far and how quickly a company which once had naming rights to everything and thought they were the future of entertainment has fallen..

(Hat tip to commenter William)

UPDATE 8 April 2013 -- As reported by commenter Andrew below, this place closed on 24 March, and the signs are down:

p1000301_tn.jpg

UPDATE 9 April 2014 -- Now a Buddy's Home Furnishings:

p1130236_tn.jpg

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Updating post tags, changing name in post title from "Blockbuster" to "Blockbuster Video", adding map icon.

Written by ted on February 20th, 2013

Tagged with , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video Store #45070, 2110 Clemson Road: March 2012   11 comments

Posted at 12:58 am in closing

Well, the once mighty Blockbuster chain continues to implode, and this store at The Crossings shopping center on the corner of Clemson and Hard Scrabble finally went under earlier this month.

I was surprised that it hung on as long as it did, especially after the closing of the adjacent Food Lion last year. Of course, I'm a little surprised now to see any Blockbuster still open -- It's kind of like going fishing and reeling-in a trilobite.

Commenter Joey points to this story about the store closing and if I recall correctly, commenter Andrew pinpointed the exact date in a comment I can no longer find.

(Hat tips to commenters Joey & Andrew)

UPDATE 18 October 2012 -- Commenter Andrew notes below that this storefront was wrapped in butcher paper and marked "Top Secret". Well, by the time I got by there, the secret was out: It's to be a gym:

p1120368_tn.jpg

p1120361_tn.jpg

p1120362_tn.jpg

p1120363_tn.jpg

p1120365_tn.jpg

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Updating tags, adding map icon.

Blockbuster Video, 2916 Emanuel Church Road Suite B: 10 April 2011   3 comments

Posted at 12:57 am in closing

In a companion closing to yesterday's, commenter Andrew sends these before (8 April 2011) and after (15 April 2011) pictures of the Blockbuster on Emanuel Church Road, saying:

This is located in West Columbia at the intersection of Emmanuel Church & Old Barnwell Road. The Street address is 2916B Emmanuel Church Road. It is in a shopping center called Sandy Ridge Square, anchored by Bi-Lo.

Thank you, Andrew. I confess that I had to plug the address into google maps and then zoom out twice before I had any idea of where Emanuel Church Road was.

(Andrew offers a hat tip to commenter Thomas for the heads-up)

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Change post address to "2926 Emanuel Church Road Suite B" from "2916-B Emanuel Church Road" for consistency. Update tags, add map icon.

Blockbuster Video, 3250 Forest Drive: 10 April 2011   22 comments

Posted at 11:41 pm in closing

Well, here is yet another Blockbuster Video closing. It's the same old story about competition with Netflix, Redbox and various video-on-demand services, but it seems that there have been some new developments since I last did a Blockbuster closing.

For one thing, according to Wikipedia, the chain went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September of 2010. I had heard that, but I had not heard that their plan for coming out of bankruptcy failed. That does surprise me a bit. I figured they would emerge from bankruptcy, and then fail again. The Wikipedia article says that on 1 March 2011, the Justice Department moved to force them into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, ie: liquidation.

Then another unlikely event intervened, and just a few weeks ago, on 28 March 2011, Dish Network bought Blockbuster:

The Denver Post reported that Dish, a Denver-based satellite-TV firm, plans to use the assets to enhance its subscription offerings and start streaming video and shipping DVDs, in order to compete with Netflix. Analysts say such a move would present a number of challenges for Blockbuster, that it would require renewing studio deals, securing streaming rights and building out the needed infrastructure.

(Hat tip to commenter chiefa)

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by ted on April 15th, 2011

Tagged with , , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video, 9814 Two Notch Road: January 2010   7 comments

Posted at 1:05 am in closing

I don't have much more to say about this Blockbuster (on Two Notch near Polo Road) closing that I didn't already say at the recent Decker Blockbuster closing, other than that this one is taking its own sweet time to wind things down. It seems like its been in "closeout sale" status for over a month now. (I say "now", I haven't driven by in a couple weeks, so it may in fact be gone at this point).

Meanwhile, I suspect we will see more Blockbuster closings here this year:


Blockbuster CFO Thomas Casey said closures of underperforming stores is supported by the fact that just 35% of Blockbuster stores generate about 80% of pre-tax earnings.

Speaking Jan. 12 at an investor event in New York, Casey said about 25% of a closed store’s revenue is transferred to other area Blockbuster locations. Blockbuster currently operates about 3,600 stores, with plans to shrink that number to 3,200 stores this year, while expanding Blockbuster Express kiosk operations.

“We’re pleased with the performance of our store-closing program,” Casey said.

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Changing the post title name from "Blockbuster" to "Blockbuster Video". Updating tags. Adding map icon.

Written by ted on January 14th, 2010

Tagged with , , , , ,

Blockbuster Video, 2509 Decker Boulevard: 16 November 2009   6 comments

Posted at 7:00 pm in closing

This Blockbuster Video Rental on Decker Boulevard, across from the old Decker Mall has has the going-out-of-business signs up for a few weeks now.

I stopped in about two weeks ago, and it seemed that they were continuing to do a normal rental business on some titles while selling out the rest of the store to the walls. I thought the prices were good, but not great, and picked up a couple of DVDs.

As I drove by today, I saw them carting off the sign, so as of now, Decker has lost yet another business. As with Hollywood Video, I guess Redbox, Netflix and the Internet have done a real number on their business model. Lately they have been trying to adopt the Netflix model while leveraging their store network ("Bring your DVDs back to the store for immediate credit!") but so far it doesn't seem to be working.

UPDATE 7 Jan 2010: Here is the store at night after being totally cleaned out:

UPDATE 12 Jan 2010: Added another picture.

UPDATE 30 August 2011 -- work is underway to turn this location into The Chabad/Aleph House:

UPDATE 5 October 2020: This place is now Chabad Of South Carolina though I don't have a picture yet. Also updating post tags and adding map icon.

Written by ted on November 16th, 2009

Tagged with , , , , , ,

Tags

Recently Updated Posts

Blogroll