It's a shame in some respects. Every BB store in my area was always clean and spacious (including ample parking). The variety of media for rent was quite extensive, although it was geared mostly towards 'mainstream' tastes. Lord forbid the locals should be reminded they live in Europe, rather than Hollywood/Bollywood.
So, why were the stores routinely devoid of but a handful of customers? It doesn't make sense for them to be so bereft of eager eyes wanting to see the latest releases. There were also games on offer, ranging from the PS1 right upto the latest hardware. So why the lack of interest?
I think the reason was the cost of renting, which just kept going up and up. In the end I only really frequented BB to a) Get away from the filth, noise and crowds of other British stores and also b) to see what offers they had in relation to discounted stock. With the advent of faster broadband and more readily-available media you could see the writing on the wall with the increasing amounts of tapes and DVD's they used to pile in the bargain bin.
I couldn't afford to rent most of the films from Blockbuster, but I miss the appeal of shopping in local stores like this for their ambiance..perhaps I am biased because I can remember the thrill of renting in the 80's (including the times before the stupid British Government got it's knickers in a twist over 'video nasties'). More and more of our high street is vanishing in this manner, only to replaced with what? Boarded-up buildings attracting filth.
But hey who cares, right? We can just click on a button and download our escapism rather than having to go outside and seek it. Just wonder how long this appeal with last..