36 years of Blockbuster Video

Gone, but not forgotten.

The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on this day in 1985.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 stores around the world. 500+ of which were in the UK.

There is now just one Blockbuster Video store left open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

Blockbuster in the UK

Blockbuster Video Express in Billingham, Teesside

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December.

The most recent former Blockbuster store we visited was in Clacton-on-Sea. It was nice to see it had a ghost sign

There are still clearly visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks. And we've been to most of them!

Blockbuster Video stores we've visited

Check out the posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores we've been to in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

A ghost sign at the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight

Lost brands

I've spent a lot of the last two years reminiscing about 'the good old days' before the coronavirus pandemic hit the planet. One of my areas of interest is in old retail brands - I'm a marketer by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us. It's been fascinating to find remnants of a number of lost, dead and defunct brands on the high street and at retail parks.

20th Century Flicks - a video shop in 2021

We've spent some of the pandemic keeping ourselves occupied by seeking out the last remains of former Blockbuster Video shops and have found quite a few traces and signs of the brand. On our limited travels we've also managed to find some video rental shops that are still trading.

One of those is 20th Century Flicks in Bristol.

Unfortunately when we visited earlier this month the video shop and mini cinema venue were temporarily closed because of lockdown restrictions. But we're pleased to see it's not permanently closed and we're looking forward to going inside on our next trip to Bristol.

Check out the 20th Century Flicks website for more information.

Blockbuster Video Express in Filton, Bristol

Finding a ghost sign at the former Blockbuster Video Express in Filton, Bristol.

While we were down in Bristol recently we checked out the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Filton, Bristol to take a look at the repurposed torn ticket sign on the side of the old video shop.

The former video shop is now a vets

I noticed the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

One other of those torn ticket signs had also been used by the new business in the location.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Ashton, Bristol
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Blockbuster Video in Ashton, Bristol

A look at a former Blockbuster Video store in Bristol.

The former video shop is now a gym 

We spotted another old Blockbuster while driving to the former store location in Filton, Bristol. This one was at Winterstoke Road in Ashton.

You can still make out the outline of the QuikDrop box at this location

I noticed the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Blockbuster Video Express in Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Finding a ghost sign at the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

Emily found this ghost sign at the old Blockbuster Video Express on Regent Street in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight last month!

The former video shop is now a charity shop

The outline of the old QuikDrop box is still there

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Check out my posts about other former Blockbuster stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Filton, Bristol
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Luton, Bedfordshire
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

A former Blockbuster Video store in Luton

A look at the former Blockbuster store in Luton.

I spotted the remains of a Blockbuster Video store while driving to Manchester in October 2019 and since then have found a few more signs of the brand on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

My old local Blockbuster was on Park Street in Luton, Bedfordshire. Living very close by for many years I walked past the store on a daily basis, and probably popped in every other day while at uni.

We were recently back in Luton and had to take a look. The shop is still somewhat recognisable from its time as a video shop (if you know what you're looking for), with Blockbuster blue paintwork and the space where the QuikDrop box once was still framed.

The former Blockbuster store is now the Welcome Supermarket 

A windowed space sits where the QuikDrop box used to be

Check out my blog posts about other former Blockbuster Video stores in:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

National VCR Day

Today is National VCR Day.

Do you still own or use a Video Cassette Recorder? I do.

There are still some great and rare films and programmes that can only be seen on video tapes these days, so I'm glad we've still got our TV/Video combination set.

Over the last year or so we've been documenting the remains of Blockbuster Video stores in the UK - visiting 19 of the former video shop locations so far.

The QuikDrop box on the old Blockbuster Video store in Southampton

We were also lucky to find a video shop still operating and renting out tapes last year! It's in Little Lever, Bolton.

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

A visit to the former Blockbuster Video store in Southampton.

We made a visit to the old Blockbuster Video store on Portswood Road in Southampton, Hampshire last month.

Work was underway to open the location as a new business but luckily there were still some traces of the Blockbuster brand on the wonderful Art Deco building.

One of the best things still visible was this elaborate QuikDrop box!

With our interest piqued by the discovery of the abandoned Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield in 2019 we've now visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Blockbuster Video in Basingstoke

A visit to the former Blockbuster Video store in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

We took a look at the old Blockbuster Video store at the Chineham shopping centre in Basingstoke last month. The unit is still vacant, but somewhat recognisable as a Blockbuster shop - especially as the QuikDrop box is still there.

With our interest piqued by the discovery of the abandoned Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield in 2019 we've now visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Basingstoke, Hampshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Nuneaton, Warwickshire
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Southampton, Hampshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

The old Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton

A look at the old Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The old sign at the former Blockbuster Video store on Regent Street in Nuneaton was uncovered when the last tenant of the building moved out.

Blockbuster visits

With our interest piqued by our discovery of the abandoned Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield in 2019 we've now visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Chester, Cheshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Colne, Lancashire
• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Blockbuster Video in Nuneaton

Checking out the former Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Earlier this year the old sign at the former Blockbuster Video store on Regent Street in Nuneaton was uncovered when the most recent tenant of the building moved out.

The unit had been home to a 365 Bargains store which has now moved-next-door-but-one on the same retail park.

The sign at the rear of the store has also been removed and the ghost outline of the Blockbuster Big Ticket logo sign can be seen

It's always marvellous to find remnants of lost brands that evoke memories of a bygone time.

What film or game would you rent out if you could?

We were also lucky enough to spot an old Woolworths ghost sign while we were having a walk round Nuneaton town centre!

Blockbuster Video

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of the year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December that year.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. There is now just one remaining store open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

Luckily for us there are still relics of its time as a retail powerhouse on the high streets and retail parks of the UK.

Blockbuster Video Express

We recently visited one of the last remaining Blockbuster Video Express shopfronts. It's in Billingham, County Durham.

Blockbuster visits

With our retail archaeology interest piqued by our discovery of the abandoned Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield in 2019 we've now visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Colne, Lancashire
• Billingham, Teesside
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Chester, Cheshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Wythenshawe, Manchester

Blockbuster in Billingham

A look at the old Blockbuster Video Express in Billingham town centre, Teesside.

The former Blockbuster Video Express in Billingham is one of the last remaining Blockbuster storefronts that is almost fully intact in the UK.

It's always interesting seeing ghost signs for lost brands and even better when those ghost signs are so fresh looking.

Blockbuster in the UK

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December.

Blockbuster around the world

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores operating around the world. There is now just one remaining store open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

Blockbuster visits

We've visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including:

• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Colne, Lancashire
• Chester, Cheshire
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Wythenshawe, Manchester
• Billingham, Teesside

Blockbuster Video Express in Billingham

A visit to the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Billingham town centre, Teesside.

This is one of the very last remaining Blockbuster store shopfronts that is almost fully intact in the UK.

What a sight!

Many thanks to LaserDisc Turtle on Twitter for letting me know about the store's existence and Visual Sound on Instagram for recently letting me know it was still there.

We live near an abandoned Blockbuster Video store here in Manchester. It's always an eerie, interesting and nostalgic thing to drive past the old shop at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December.

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. There is now just one remaining store open. It's in Bend, Oregon, USA.

We've visited a number of former Blockbuster locations, including the site in Colne, Lancashire last summer.

Former Blockbuster Video stores

A look at some lost Blockbuster Video stores.

Since first spotting the remains of the former Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 we've been on the lookout for other remnants of the brand. Sometimes we've been lucky and found an old QuikDrop box or piece of signage and on occasion we've been really lucky and seen full shopfronts and branding left inside stores.

However, on some occasions we haven't been as fortunate. That's been the case when visiting Chorley, Telford, Abingdon, Great Moor and Wythenshawe.

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Chorley Retail Park in Chorley, Lancashire (August 2020)

Now a restaurant and takeaway

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Rampart Way, Telford, Shropshire (September 2020)

This was a large store

The last remnants of Blockbuster in Telford

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Peachcroft, Abingdon, Oxfordshire (November 2020)

This was my local Blockbuster video shop when I was growing up

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Buxton Road, Great Moor, Stockport (March 2021)

At least this former store is still blue and yellow

Former Blockbuster Video Store - Rowlands Way, Wythenshawe, Manchester (April 2021)

Another tile shop

To date we've been to former Blockbuster stores in:

• Fallowfield, Manchester
• Colne, Lancashire
• Chester, Cheshire
• Felixstowe, Suffolk
• Hastings, East Sussex
• Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
• Marple, Greater Manchester
• Oldham, Greater Manchester
• Prescot, Lancashire
• Telford, Shropshire
• Chorley, Lancashire
• Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
• Abingdon, Oxfordshire
• Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Leigh, Greater Manchester
• Wythenshawe, Manchester
• Billingham, Teesside

A closed video shop in Luton

I spotted this snap of the old Shahenshah Videos shop on Alder Crescent in Luton while looking through my photos recently.

Check out my other video shop blog posts.

What did this building used to be?

A bit of retail archaeology in Leigh, Greater Manchester.

A new Londis, Ellie D's Tattoo Studio and Grainey's Barbers on Holden Road in Leigh - but what did it used to be?

It's interesting to see how the world of retail and buying behaviour changes over time.

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It was once a Blockbuster Video Express.

After it was a Blockbuster store the unit on Holden Road became a Best-One shop. It is currently home to three businesses, with one section vacant.

Lost Blockbusters

Blockbuster Video ceased operations in the UK in December 2013. At the start of that year there were 528 Blockbuster locations in the UK. The number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. The remaining stores closed on the 16th December.

The first Blockbuster Video store had opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on the 19th October 1985.

Blockbuster Video entered the UK video rental market in 1989 following the purchase of Ritz Video.

The QuikDrop box is still in place at the old store location in Prescot, Merseyside

We've found a few empty Blockbuster stores on our travels, including the shops in Fallowfield, Manchester and Colne, Lancashire. We've also seen remnants of signage and QuikDrop boxes in a number of locations.