What companies are going under this year?

I'm picturing Blockbuster employees emptying out the Redbox kiosks every Tuesday night.

 

Why? I would think people would be hanging on to (and repairing) the cars they have for as long as they can.

And for the record, I've never had any big problems with Blockbuster, besides the small selection of "classic" or non-megahit movies. How can Blockbuster mess you up?

 

The Blockbusters in my area have always had a program like this, but my point is that it was a joke compared to Netflix and the like. They wanted close to $39.95 per month for unlimited rentals but the problem was that most of the time their shelves were bare.

Why am I going to spend twice as much to get (at best) half the movies I can get via Netflix?

And don't tell me that charging $4.95 for a new release is justifiable either. Not in the age of Redbox my friend.

 

I too don't wish ill will on any companies.

I had recently read somewhere that Sears/Kmart are all about the real estate and in no danger. I think Krispy Kreme will prevail, although they will look much different when all is said and done. Blockbuster just got into bed with Ticketmaster or Live Nation, didn't they?

While I've never rented a DVD from Redbox, I find their business model fascinating.

 

Krispy Kreme around here closed down about a year after it was opened.

And I echo the sentiments about K-Mart. That place sucks.

 

Hollywood Video closed two in my area in the past year.

 

Currently (and I guess that this only applies for sure to stores in my market) our unlimited passes start at 21.99 a month.

And I completely agree that 4.99 for a single rental is a bit obscene. But since the average customer keeps a rental out for between 3 and 6 days we're not all that far off from the dollar per day that Redbox charges.

 

My money's on Circuit City. I was in there today and it looked like a bomb had hit it. They had rows and rows of empty shelving, with very little stock -- except for their newstand aisle, which was overflowing with magazines and the local paper.

 

I would think that the coming tsunami in commercial real estate foreclosures will wipe out Sears Holding's real estate value.

As for Redbox, it's owned by McDonald's and Coinstar and is indeed making a ton of money.

 

Is this sarcasm or has your head been stuck in Lane Kiffin's fog machine?

EDIT: And you can add S&K to the bubble watch, complete with a reference only Cosmo could love.

http://www.downtownshortpump.com/2009/02/09/short-pump-based-sk-menswear-files-for-bankruptcy/

 

The parts industry was sick even in 2000, a record year for sales of American vehicles. Explanation simple. The parts are better made abroad, too, not just the cars.

I'm having a hard time remembering, honestly, the last time I was in a Blockbuster. Well over five years. The Fuddrucker's just went belly up in my hometown. That made me genuinely sad.

 

You liked paying $10 for a burger?