World’s Last Blockbuster Listed on AirBnB

Since March, franchises across virtually every segment have been rolling out operational and service-oriented pivots to bring in revenue as the coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on the economy and change the way people shop. But how does a franchise that’s down to its very last remaining unit — a franchise whose downfall is attributed to a stubborn overconfidence in its brick-and-mortar service model — stay afloat in one of the most dire consumer landscapes in generations? By leaning hard on legacy.

This week, AirBnB announced that the world’s last Blockbuster Video — a franchisee-owned location in Bend, Oregon — has been listed on the home-rental site. But the listing is not for private stays. Rather, Blockbuster is inviting guests to one of three sleepover events on September 18, 19 and 20. Reservations, which can be booked starting August 17 for $4 — just a penny more than the cost of a video rental — include an all-night movie marathon in a space within the Blockbuster decked out like a ‘90s living room. 

Partnering with a travel company — one of the few segments hit as hard by COVID as retail — for an indoors social gathering may seem like an odd strategy right now, but both brands are implementing a number of safety precautions, including strict social distancing during the sleepovers, and hoping that current events have made customers hungry for a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Though Blockbuster became a case study in the dangers of underestimating emerging competition after passing up the opportunity to purchase Netflix for just $50 million in 2000 (the video-streaming service is valued at $194 billion today), its cultural impact remains potent, and the franchise’s final remaining unit has survived in large part thanks to the goodwill of its supporters, many of whom travel from across the country to visit the store, which today serves as a sort of mini-museum for the franchise as well as a video-rental store.