The Blockbuster on White Street in West Manchester Township will close soon, according to signs posted on the side of the store, leaving residents of the West York area largely without a brick-and-mortar video store to call their own.
The company announced plans in 2009 to close hundreds of stores in an effort to "reverse its losses and fend off rapidly growing rivals Netflix and Redbox," the Associated Press reported. The company's store on North George Street and Route 30 in York closed last year.
I stopped by the West York store Tuesday afternoon to talk with people about what the store's closing means. The Hollywood Video in the Delco Plaza across the street closed last year.
Many of the people I talked to were just stopping by because they saw the big signs outside the store announcing its closing and were looking for some good deals. Many of them told me they rely mainly on Netflix and Redbox for their video-rental needs.
There were, however, a few regular customers who will be sad to see the store go. When it comes to renting movies, they said, you can't beat the selection and the immediacy of a brick-and-mortar store.
When I think about it, video stores were very much a part of my childhood. In my parents day they'd gather around a radio or one channel TV for a program. I'll always remember it being a treat, early in my childhood, to go to the movie store and get something new.