Blockbuster (Last of its kind) - Bend, OR
N 44° 04.039 W 121° 18.210
10T E 635862 N 4880748
Blockbuster is the last remaining video franchise in the world and now independently owned by a local family. They offer a wide selection of movie rentals including new releases on DVD and VHS.
Waymark Code: WM13PMB
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/24/2021
Views: 0
The last remaining Blockbuster in the world is located in Bend, OR. Blockbuster was once the largest corporate video rental store in the United States but went into decline in the mid-2000s and closed the last corporate store in 2014. The current Blockbuster franchise is independently owned and became the last of its kind when a store in Perth, Australia closed its doors in 2019. The following is taken from the Bend Blockbuster website to describe its history:
In 2010, Blockbuster Corporate filed for bankruptcy. The once giant video store chain had fallen from over 9094 stores in 2004 to a mere 1700 struggling corporate locations. By April 2011 they were being auctioned off and the winning bid of 320 million dollars went to Dish Network, a satellite TV provider. Slowly the new operators began closing corporate owned stores and in January 2014 the final Blockbuster Corporate location closed. This left only a few franchise locations around the world and at the end of March 2019 only 1 store remained, our store in Bend Oregon.
Ken & Debbie Tisher along with their two teenagers (Marc and Rory) moved to Bend in September 1990. The following December they opened the very first Pacific Video Store on the south end of Bend. Two years later they opened the second of what was later to become 3 Central Oregon locations, here at 211 NE Revere. As small business owners the Tisher’s recognized they had the opportunity to bring the movie experience to our family homes. By offering the newest movie titles and our favorite classics on VHS they were able to give the Bend community an inexpensive alternative to going out to the theater.
After successfully operating their locally owned video stores for 10 years, the Tisher’s, along with their partners, Debbie’s parents, Larry and Berniece Doan made the decision to become a Blockbuster Franchise in June of 2000. This was the beginning of our Blockbuster Story. How a small business, thru stubborn determination and a bit of pure luck, has been able to operate in the chaos of an ever changing home video world.
All proceeds from our product sales go directly to support our store and help us stay open. The majority of our products are also made right here in Bend. We thank you for your support!
In summer of 2020 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blockbuster began offering overnight stays via AirBnB for a family of four to play movies all night long in a dedicated entertainment room with a large-screen TV and pullout couch. There's a nice article from Oregon Live that highlight's the sleepover for families and mentions the store being privately owned here.