Blockbusters has gone into Administration

[crusto]

My nipper was nagging me for Lego LOTR yesterday at Blockbusters, they had it for £23.99 used on PS3 with 30% off, so about £17 or so...I told him no, thats way too high. I went to Sainsbury's and snagged a brand new copy for £5 (pricing error, should have been £15). But you can see why they are failing with prices so high for USED games. Architects of their own downfall and all that and imo they got what they deserved. Its a shame for the staff though, I got to know (sort of) a few of them over the years, all decent folk. Soon to be jobless.

[silvergunner]

My nipper was nagging me for Lego LOTR yesterday at Blockbusters, they had it for £23.99 used on PS3 with 30% off, so about £17 or so...I told him no, thats way too high. I went to Sainsbury's and snagged a brand new copy for £5 (pricing error, should have been £15). But you can see why they are failing with prices so high for USED games. Architects of their own downfall and all that and imo they got what they deserved. Its a shame for the staff though, I got to know (sort of) a few of them over the years, all decent folk. Soon to be jobless.

We say it costs too much now but when a super market smashes the prices lower than what they clearly paid for them. It's not block busters fault really as they are just trying to make a profit regardless of the fact that the company is being run by monkeys. Super markets have devalued so many types of products over the years it's crazy. We all expect stuff cheaper than ever now. I include myself in that regarding wanting stuff cheaper as well. Having worked for company's that have gone bust due to the big guys selling stuff cheaper than you can buy it from a official distribution channels. You have no chance to make money to stay afloat. In the case of block buster it's a fact that technology has moved on and the days of renting media from a shop is long gone. Feel for the staff especially as again another company has gone bust before Christmas. Not good for all staff involved.

[RetroBob]

It's not quite at 'fire sale' mode just yet. There is a 20% discount off the stickered prices, I picked up Child of Eden today for £4.20 but that was the lowest price these and that was the only game that low.

I wonder, will that be my last ever trip to Blockbuster?

[Timothy Lumsden]

i took a stroll to my local one. Most things were 50% off, except for some of the newer releases.

I did get Pandora's Tower for £6 (plus I got a couple of PS3 games with no box for £2 each by the till).

I really want to say I'll be sad to see the place go, but in truth the people who work(ed) in my local one have always been rude and unhelpful.

[tachi]

I really want to say I'll be sad to see the place go, but in truth the people who work(ed) in my local one have always been rude and unhelpful.

Can't agree more! Both the staff in our local one in Swansea and here in Plymouth are obnoxious sods and will probably get jobs in Cex when the store closes.
And besides, I think the day of the highstreet DVD rental is gone.

[che_don_john]

I really want to say I'll be sad to see the place go, but in truth the people who work(ed) in my local one have always been rude and unhelpful.

It's been the opposite at my local store (Kempston, Bedfordshire). I always pop in before I go into Sainsburys; I rarely buy anything as their prices were usually stupid, but occasionally they'd have a good offer or a sale. Staff were always helpful, pleasant and talkative. Really felt sorry for them when I popped in the other day when it was confirmed the store would closed. Can't be easy having to offer good customer service with a smile when you've just lost your job a few weeks before Christmas.

I tried not to seem too happy with the bargains I snagged given that these guys were losing their jobs; feels like I'd be rubbing their noses in it a bit. Same can't be said for the a-hole in the queue in front of me, who had quite blatantly tried the old sneaky price label swap. When the assistant calmly (and without accusation) pointed out that the label had been swapped and that he couldn't sell the game at the price, said a-hole kicked off and moaned about 'false advertising'. These people have lost their jobs, the games are now going for stupidly cheap prices, and this prat is trying to cheat them for the sake of a couple of quid and is giving them s*** for not letting him. I'm sure the staff won't miss dealing with people like that moron.

[Timothy Lumsden]

I really want to say I'll be sad to see the place go, but in truth the people who work(ed) in my local one have always been rude and unhelpful.

Can't agree more! Both the staff in our local one in Swansea and here in Plymouth are obnoxious sods and will probably get jobs in Cex when the store closes.
And besides, I think the day of the highstreet DVD rental is gone.

Once the guy at the counter literally strolled off mid-transaction to have a fag in my branch. It was such a sitcom moment I didn't even get p!ssed off at him.

[DPrinny]

They are Ok at my "Kinda" local one (its about 7 miles up the road)

[n1nty]

My local is nothing but brillant , never had an issue, always happy to help. Went in today and they had saved me without asking Fiffa14 on vita as it was less than 20 in the sale. I for one will miss mine and the staff.

[The Hardest of All Freds]

Our local is now (nearly) a Morrisons Express

[DPrinny]

So whens the final closing time?

Debating if its worth going up tomorrow or Monday

[speedlolita]

Our local is now (nearly) a Morrisons Express

Lol, the one in Walton-on-Thames turned into one.

[The Hardest of All Freds]

Even the buildings were part of the fire sale. I wonder if they are overpriced tat too?

[DoraemonTheCat]

Architects of their own downfall and all that and imo they got what they deserved. Its a shame for the staff though, I got to know (sort of) a few of them over the years, all decent folk. Soon to be jobless.

I too feel sorry for the hard working staff, especially all the students that worked there and were using their job to help towards Uni/college fees.

But, reading that first sentence, one word springs to mind :

I N E V I T A B L E


Companies that do not move with the times and ADAPT to ever changing market conditions deserve to fail. If management is that incompetent, and too short sighted to see trends emerging, then they deserve to go to the ground.

Sounds harsh, and everyone thinks I'm a firebrand as it is, but why defend a company that has bought upon it's own demise?

[sscott]

I must have been one of the few pupil still regularly using Blockies, even after subscribing to Netflix/Lovefilm, staff were generally great too. Game prices would vary but bargains could be had. Still as people have said, the writing was on the wall.