• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Manager of world's last Blockbuster hasn't changed store since it opened

Home> Community

Updated 16:47 23 Apr 2023 GMT+1Published 16:04 23 Apr 2023 GMT+1

Manager of world's last Blockbuster hasn't changed store since it opened

The store gives visitors a heavy dose of nostalgia

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

The last remaining Blockbuster in the world has remained pretty much exactly the same since the 1990s.

Going back a few decades, Blockbuster was a billion-dollar company with branches across the globe, but with the growth of the internet it fell by the wayside and as of March 2019, there’s just one store left, situated in Bend in Oregon.

Manager Sarah Harding, 51, has run the store for almost 20-years and says stepping inside is a little bit like stepping back in time.

Advert

As well as shelves upon shelves of DVDs to rent, the store also has movie memorabilia and posters dotted about the place, and customers can also grab themselves some sweets or popcorn to go with their movie.

The store was also the inspiration for the 2022 Netflix comedy series Blockbuster, which starred Randall Park and Melissa Fumero.

In an interview with The Sun, Sandi said customers feel nostalgic when they enter her store but admits that it’s a challenge running the last Blockbuster in the world.

Advert

She said: "People usually say how excited they are to come and see us.

"The store looks exactly the same, you walk in and get that Blockbuster feeling, we haven't really change anything. It all looks exactly how it was in the 90s.

"There's not a lot of need for rental and some people don't even have DVD players in their homes anymore so it's definitely a struggling business as far as the rentals go so we are fortunate to have the nostalgia piece and have the tourism and the T-shirts and our website now - without this we wouldn't be able to survive."

The last remaining Blockbuster in the world has remained pretty much exactly the same since the 1990s.
Instagram/@blockbusterbend

Advert

Sandi added: "We're just trying to keep that going for as long as we possibly can.

"We try to do fun things to remind people we're still here."

Blockbuster recently teased the public by reactivating its website and sharing a message that read: “We are working on rewinding your movie.” As yet, it’s unclear what, if anything, the company has planned but it certainly hasn’t stopped people speculating with some people suggesting it could be a big hint the brand is reopening stores.

The store gives visitors a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Instagram/@blockbusterbend

Advert

Sandi told The Sun she’s ‘anxious’ about what the message could mean, but said it would be good if some new stores did pop up.

"It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to see a couple of stores open up,” she said.

"We got people coming in and talking about the nostalgia and how much they miss it and that it'd be nice to see another store opening.

"So it'd be nice to know we helped maybe weave out the things a little bit.”

Featured Image Credit: blockbusterbend/Instagram

Topics: Film and TV

Claire Reid
Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

a day ago
3 days ago
4 days ago
  • a day ago

    People terrified after spotting 'unsettling' detail in woman's mukbang video

    The AI-generated video has gone viral after being shared on Twitter

    Community
  • 3 days ago

    People are losing their minds at 'job benefit' Americans find normal but everyone else finds disturbing

    Many countries offer the 'benefit' for free whether someone has a job or not

    Community
  • 3 days ago

    Hooters waitresses leave people shocked after revealing how much they really make in a day

    Servers' salaries has been an ongoing debate in the US for some time now

    Community
  • 4 days ago

    Baby of brain dead woman delivered via C-section after horrifying abortion law forced family to keep her alive

    Adriana Smith was declared brain dead since February and has been on life support ever since

    Community
  • Netflix mini-series rated '10/10' as it storms up most-watched charts out of nowhere
  • People losing it after spotting bizarre accidental detail in background of Twilight they've 'never noticed before'
  • Homeless man who won $1,000,000 on lottery ticket met with incredible act of kindness from store manager he bought it from
  • 248 million hour Netflix binge sees viewers watch all three seasons of number one show in a week