Blockbuster shoots second-to-last remaining toe

I don’t think Blockbuster realizes just how badly an iPhone app that shows if a particular title is currently in stock at a local store will backfire on them.

Someone who still uses Blockbuster for their DVD rentals might currently go to the store in search of X title, look around and find that it’s not in stock but decide that, hey since they’re here and they want to watch something they’ll pick out Y title that they thought looked interesting but had forgotten about. Under this scenario Blockbuster gets two transactions: One now and one when the customer comes back for the movie they were originally searching for.

With an app to show if X title is currently in stock the customer will check that app, see that it’s not and so decide to pull “Firefly” off the DVD shelf in their basement and watch The Train Job again because they think it’s funny when Zoe says “Captain I think you might have a slight problem with your brain being missing.” Under this scenario Blockbuster gets zero sales because that customer is not going to go back to the store until the next time it’s convenient for them which will be a long time since they’ll have started their Netflix account in the ensuing weeks.

Never give customers an excuse to not come to your store.