Shell Game

[jackfaire]

So Redbox bought out Blockbuster Express.

For those of you who don't know Redbox is an ATM type thing that dispenses movies that must be returned at which point you will be charged a 1 per day that you kept said movie plus tax.

Anyway that being said Blockbuster attempted to compete with Redbox like they are attempting to still compete with Netflix.

Side Note anyone else feel like Blockbuster is the popular kid from high school that realizes everyone in college thinks he is lame so tries to become like one of the geeks in order to be cool again.

So anyway Blockbuster created Blockbuster express and put their own ATM movie things. Well they couldn't sustain it and have sold off to Redbox.

That being said Redbox now has the rights to the name Blockbuster Express and apparently intends to use it.

What this means is that it will appear like Redbox has competition when really they will not.

Thoughts?

[siead_lietrathua]

it's nothing unusual and just reminds me of this link : http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/wp-cont.../05/k0pv01.jpg

[HYHYBT]

It's a little unusual, in that the actual product is identical (other than possibly pricing and selection). More often, a company that owns more than one brand of the same type of thing can differentiate them more (an Oldsmobile is similar, but not identical, to a Pontiac; Olive Garden and Red Lobster have very different menus and atmospheres, etc.)

Still, it happens. For example, for a while there was a restaurant chain named Fire Mountain. It was remarkably similar to Ryan's (even the buildings were identical except for the chairs and signage), and for good reason. A few years ago they gave up.

[Andara Bledin]

You mean like there once might have been a Babbages, Software Etc, and Gamestop all within the same shopping center?

Personally, I'm not sure retention of the name Blockbuster is really all that advantageous. I don't personally know anybody who has a positive opinion of the company.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

If nothing else, having the right to the name means not having to replace existing machines...

[crashhelmet]

I've seen a few blue Red Box machines around town. I always wondered what was up with that.

[Aethian]

Still, it happens. For example, for a while there was a restaurant chain named Fire Mountain. It was remarkably similar to Ryan's (even the buildings were identical except for the chairs and signage), and for good reason. A few years ago they gave up.

Those two places were owned by the same parent company. From what I understand when we had both a Ryan's and a Fire Mountain in Lansing it was because they were going for two different clientele. One in the north side looking for the out and about shoppers. The other in the south side looking for the older crowd.

[Hyena Dandy]

You mean like there once might have been a Babbages, Software Etc, and Gamestop all within the same shopping center?

As a result, we now have a Gamestop in the mall. And a Gamestop in the strip mall across the street from the mall. There is also one a ten minute walk away.

[Ginger Tea]

If I remember rightly in the UK we had Future Zone a dedicated gaming shop from the late 90's that rebranded as Electronic Boutique (I later found out they just licenced the name from the American co that I never knew existed)
Later on their main competition Game (who at the time also dealt with board games card games and other non PC/Console gaming tat) merged with EB after one bought the other out, tbh I forget which.

Later on EB lost the rights to the name and all shops rebranded as Game, so the small centre in town had a large Game and a tiny game a few doors down and in the other shopping centre there was a third.
Eventually the EB one was removed and they also bought Game Station out and they last I looked still trade under that name, but ours might have gone I wasn't paying attention to that part of the street, plus Game had that bit of financial bother a few months back.

Basically they own the competition and gave the impression they compete.

[Jaden]

Jewelry stores do this all the time. My dad is a manager at a jewelry factory who supplies to a whole bunch of competing jewelry stores...many of whom are owned by the same people.

[Cats]

As a result, we now have a Gamestop in the mall. And a Gamestop in the strip mall across the street from the mall. There is also one a ten minute walk away.

We have two Game Stops in our local mall (and it's about an average size one too, not one of those super malls where multiple stores might be common). One of them is so tiny it's more like an overgrown closet. I don't understand why they're paying double rent when they can just merge the smaller one with the bigger one. It has been YEARS since they bought out the EB games that was the closest store. The thing is so small and there's so little room to move, that the damn place is nowhere near ADA compliant.

[IDrinkaRum]

As a result, we now have a Gamestop in the mall. And a Gamestop in the strip mall across the street from the mall. There is also one a ten minute walk away.

That almost sounds like where I live! There's a Gamestop in my mall. Then right outside the mall are two different strip malls. Both with Gamestops in them. And people wondered why the gaming store I worked at never dealt with electronic gaming.

[Ginger Tea]

Any one else in the UK have a crap tonne of Marks and Spencers and Next branches?
At one count we had 5 M&S (granted one was specifically food only) and 3 Next, let's hiope the old HMV unit doesn't become one of those two.

[aurelemsrealm]

I've seen a few blue Red Box machines around town. I always wondered what was up with that.

I've seen blue Redbox kiosks at the local Wal-Mart stores. I figured it had to do with keeping in compliance with Wal-Mart's color scheme or something of that nature. The Redbox kiosks at all other locations around town are actually red.

[HYHYBT]

As is the one in the Walmart here, so its not that they're required to match the color scheme. (Besides, it's out in the vestibule, and everything else out there is either beige, gray, or a multicolored soda machine.)