Blockbuster Video stores used to be everywhere. In the mid-2000s, Blockbuster was the world’s largest video rental chain. There were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores. Then came streaming services like Netflix. People stopped renting videos and DVDs from their neighborhood Blockbuster. In 2018, there were three Blockbusters left. But the two in Alaska closed. So now there’s only one, in Bend, Oregon. Bend is a town that has three movie theaters. Each year, it hosts an independent film festival. People in Bend like movies. The current owners of the Blockbuster store say they have no plans to close it.
