Blockbuster has closed thousands of stores. It has offered DVDs by mail and free DVDs from new Redbox-style kiosks. Even so, it just can’t seem to cope with rental competitors Netflix and Redbox.
If so, you’re in the minority. All of these expenses traditionally fall into the entertainment category, as “discretionary” spending. But more and more, they’re viewed as indispensable, right up there with electricity, water, and food.
The average digital cable TV bill was about $75 last year. By dropping cable, you’d eliminate $900 a year in bills.
The ubiquitous DVD kiosk company, which made its name by offering movie rentals for just $1 a night, has been testing higher prices in about two dozen markets around the country.
There’s a lot of grumbling among consumers and media types that cable TV is not only overpriced, but that it should be free—and what with the growing number of free alternatives on the web, it might have no choice but to be free.
When people are beating the rugs hunting for little ways to improve their financial statements, cable TV is generally considered untouchable. Why?
Brick and mortar are no matches for cheap kiosks and the Internet. If you hadn’t already gathered, it appears that Netflix and Redbox are taking control of the three-way battle for movie rental customers. The latest sign: Movie rental giant Blockbuster plans to shut down nearly 1,000 stores by the end of 2010.
Redbox, the $1 per day DVD rental kiosk business, is a runaway success. It’s perhaps experiencing even more of a recession boom than mail-DVD-rental service Netflix. Redbox kiosks will soon be opened in supermarkets like Albertson’s and Kroger, bringing its total number of vending machines to 22,000 nationwide, up 61 percent from last year. All [...]
People will pay for quality. Even during an economic crisis. Even when the people involved are self-described cheapskates.
Tough times have a huge impact on what we buy, and what we don’t. In light of recent sales figures related to the brightly colored foam clogs known as Crocs and the mail-order DVD service known as Netflix, we’ve got two interesting recession case studies.
Redbox is cheap and fast. Netflix has an enormous selection and great customer service. Blockbuster gives customers the most options. So which is the best value? The answer is: None of the above.
