Bye Bye Blockbuster

The financial press is abuzz with the demise of another cultural icon: the video rental retail store.

Blockbuster, a national chain of stores which has about 300 locations still open across the United States, including one in Concord on Storrs Street, will close all its retail locations, according to MSN.com.

The chain will also end its DVD by mail subscription service, according to the report. Close to 3,000 people who work at Blockbuster will lose their jobs.

The company, which is owned by Dish Networks, had previously seen a huge rise in business, becoming the dominant retail chain at one point in the late 1990s, with more than 9,000 retail stores. However, with a shift in the business model to DVD through the postal service, offered by Netflix, and online streaming outlets, the business model floundered. The company filed for bankruptcy protection three years ago, after staggering losses.

Concord has lost a number of retail video stores including the locally owned and operated Cinema 93 Video four years ago, due the changes in the marketplace. The store, owned by movie aficionado Barry Steelman, who now works at Red River Theatres, was located on Pleasant Street for more than a decade. Previously, Steelman owned a movie theatre on Loudon Road. The city also previously had a Hollywood Video location on the Heights.

Deluxe Video on Village Street in Penacook is still in business.

Dish Network will reportedly attempt to keep the brand alive by offering streaming only of movies and television shows.