RIP Redbox

McDonald’s had all the Redboxes in our area in the aughts. I always wondered what that premium car and foot traffic space cost Redbox to use.

The closing of mom and pop video stores hit me much harder than this. I legitimately miss 1980s video stores with their curated walls, ability to rent entire video game systems for a weekend, strange food offerings and weirdo owners. If I won the Powerball I think I’d operate one of those places at a complete loss. That and a tiny newspaper. Both would incrementally lose money and make me happy to own.

 

If I don’t win the lotto, I now sure hope you do.

 

So … you live in a town with a Walmart?

 

There used to be three Redbox machines within walking distance of my house: one at a CVS pharmacy, and two (?) across the street from CVS at Walgreens. There was another that was a three-minute drive from home at the grocery store.

The box at CVS has been gone for a couple of years. I haven't been out of the house today, so I don't know if the Walgreens' and grocery store boxes are still there or not.

 

Our town is nowhere close to big enough to have a Wal-Mart. Ours is at a Dollar General.

I worked at Wal-Mart last year. We didn’t have a Redbox.

 

Still one where I work.