I have been sitting on my hands and holding back my ideas because I thought someone from the new Blockbuster Corporation would have done something of value by now, but they haven't.
A few news items were the driving force that tipped off my thinking cap. The first piece of news was a rumor that Charlie Ergen, the new owner of Blockbuster and founder of Dish Networks, only bought Blockbuster for the monster Tax Credits that the US Government gives corporations when their company loses profits.
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The other action in the news was Blockbuster's move to engage a courtroom battle with NCR over vending machine sales. (NCR is a company that licenses the Blockbuster name for movie rental machines in grocery stores.) Rather than a smart business action, that was both the straw that broke the camel's back and my cue to hatch this business plan for Blockbuster or anyone else who can get a hold of one of their recently abandoned retail outlets. Luckily for Mr. Ergen, high profile corporate lawyers are cheap so they can do this legal fighting for decades over vending machine sales and get massive corporate tax cuts.
My answer to Blockbusters problems does not reside in the courtrooms but stems from BEANS - COFFEE BEANS, to be exact.
Blockbuster Video Stores have been woven into the fabric of Americana for a while, but now they have been dissolved by the Digital World. Blockbuster's big corporate money did not see the changes coming. Blockbuster never looked in the review mirror or outside of the box. Instead they made strong corporate alliances and paid top dollar to executives. Take, for example, John F Antioco, who was paid 51 million dollars in 2004 for his "leadership."
So as I move along with this story slash plan to help America create some new jobs, I cannot help but feel optimistic.
Real movie fans know that Blockbuster sold out the movie industry instead of nurturing the Film Industry. They pushed cheese movies down the throats of the public and showed no interest in Foreign or Independent films. Ever seen the Independent or Foreign Film section in Blockbuster? Exactly. That is like excluding Vincent Van Gogh just because he is not from Burbank Studios Corporate Office in California. True film directors, writers, and artists were never able to appreciate this company because of its lack of quality films. But let's not kick a dog when it's down.
My idea makes me feel like I am Richard Dreyfuss in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" looking for the mountain - except my mountain is the business plan for Blockbuster Cafes.
It is proven that you do not need massive retail space to earn profits in the movie or game rental market. Blockbuster stock is less than 3 cents a share and Netflix is selling over 0.00 a share. Bing! One has to appreciate the Netflix business model in this day and age.
Million dollar question: Can Blockbuster once again become a leader in the movie rental business?
Maybe - and here are my nine changes and the core of the plan:
1. First off, get rid of all the needle nose pencil pushers that do not understand Film. Train them to start appreciating quality Films from around the world. And if they do not want to change, then you have to show them the way. The motto under MGM's logo in Latin says, "Art for Arts Sake."
2. Transform all Blockbuster Video Stores by cutting the shelf space. What do you need shelf space for with the dust jackets? Have five computer terminals like the library does and let people browse reviews, celebrity movie pics, awards, suggestions, and so on. Sit down and make your DVD rental selection - very similar to Vending machine sales.
3. Next take all that open space in the store ( ) and put in lounge chairs, sofas, and decorative design. Make each Blockbuster look different and yet the same (will explain this later-do not want to give away too much of my interior design chops.)
4. Convert the checkout counter at Blockbuster into a coffee bar. Now we can jump into the game of selling high-end Specialty Coffee drinks. If it was up to me, I would forget Starbucks and just buy my own beans. Sell Blockbuster Coffee. The name even sounds great. Starbucks pays less than a penny for a pound of beans. What do they really have? Customer Service. Starbucks is not offering anything new, but they do offer awesome customer service. If Blockbuster Cafes can incorporate quality customer service, then there is no reason why it cannot sell its own coffee just as well as Starbucks.
5. After you rent the video at the computer station, the printer at the Coffee Bar counter shows your order number, name of movie, and customer's name. The barista walks to the back storage area and pulls out your DVD, Game, or Blue Ray from the shelf, hands it to you, and leaves you with a 'see you later,' a nice iced caramel latte in hand, and a few slices of banana bread.
6. Store hours are 7am till Midnight. (How many people do you think will have to be hired for these hours?)
7. Now the good news: Get rid of all that candy. What genius thought of this? I am a foodie and to see the junk that Blockbuster pushes makes me want to gag. Blockbuster's candy selection is an insult to the intelligence of movie fans. Starbucks has some decent ideas on what to the public likes to eat, but Blockbuster has no idea.
My question is this: what type of customer is in the market for a high fructose Sugar Snake Candy that has rainbow colors and a double chewy cavity enhancer?
8. The next item to replace is the framed artwork that looks like it fell off a truck in the Bronx, New York. Lets exchange it with some medium to high priced art. Turn it into the living room of the ages that people would love to hang out in.
9. Develop a drive thru. Why not drive thru coffee all day? What the heck else is a person doing all day in a movie rental store? We have not even delved into a coupon purchase loyalty program. Bam.
The revenue streams:
1. Coffee
2. Quality Food
3. DVD's, Games, and Blue Ray
4. Serious Prints on the Walls.
5. Drive up window.
6. Computer Tablets for rental to surf the net. (Of course we will do a credit card deposit for the rental with ID check.)
One way to give back is to donate proceeds into preserving vintage films.
Our bottom line will be to treat the Film Industry as an art source that caters to a higher quality of life. This is one the fundamental damaging viruses that affected Blockbusters Business model in the late 80's, 90's, and 00's: as they grew up, they sold out. As the new Blockbuster Company develops, it will enrich the fabric of Americana and leap into the new era of appreciation.
One final suggestion: I could be in charge of the first store with signing bonus. I'm looking for a job right now.
Starbucks Merges With Blockbuster for Movie Cafes
Miles O'Connor is interested in getting people to re-think the way they walk through life. The kitchen is a good starting point. Do not go to my web site unless you want to see my latest idea. I'm selling my product so don't go to web site if this grabs your goat. Just take the article for what it is. If your easy going and want to visit then the web site is at http://www.dojochef.com Bringing new products to market is fun but sometimes slow that's why I write. If you any ideas for me to pick up the pace visit: http://www.dojochef.com and tell me. Hasta la pasta.
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