Redbox Locations in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, & Massachusetts Shut Down Suddenly

I am old enough to remember renting movies and video games from rental stores.  My small town had locally-owned rental stores, but in most bigger towns, there were chain stores like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery.

In the early 2000s, many grocery store chains got in on the rental action.  It made sense.  People were there on a regular basis, so why not give them another reason to visit the store?

That did not last long, though.  Within a few years, those rental departments had been replaced by Redbox movie and video game rental kiosks.

Even though I love interacting with people, even I had to admit that these kiosks were way more convenient.  They stocked multiple copies of the newest releases, you could search for specific titles online (to see which titles were available at a given kiosk), and they were often cheaper than other rental options.

At one time, there were often dozens of kiosks in each town.  They weren't just in grocery stores; they were at pharmacies, convenience stores, and shopping plazas.  The best part about having locations outside stores was that they were available any time of the day.  It did not matter if the store was actually open.  If you wanted to grab a movie at 11:30 on a Tuesday night, you could.

Unfortunately, after dealing with some serious financial issues, it appears that Redbox is no more.

The End of an Era

According to an article on the Washington Post website, Redbox has folded.

The article explains that Redbox's parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in a Delaware court on Wednesday.  Last month, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Unfortunately, it appears they were not able to recover financially.  Following Wednesday's filing a judge ordered the company to liquidate their assets.

Based on what we have been able to tell, the closure was immediate.  A search for nearby locations on the Redbox website yields no results.

The really sad part of the Redbox story is that the company's 1,000 employees will be laid off.

Even though it is always sad to see an iconic business close, I think we can all agree that we knew this day was coming.  In 2024, nearly all TV programming is streamed.  This includes news, shows, and movies.  When was the last time you purchased or rented a DVD or Blue Ray?

R.I.P. Redbox.  You will be missed.