2010: Video Store Clerks
Video stores used to be a staple of weekend movie nights — who doesn’t remember browsing the Blockbuster aisles for movie rentals at only a few dollars each before heading up for the personal interaction at the checkout counter? But with the introduction of streaming services, video stores slowly went out of business, and with it, the store clerks.
Blockbuster and other video stores eventually went bankrupt, eliminating thousands of jobs. At the height of its popularity, Blockbuster had more than 9,000 stores worldwide, but today only one remains, located in Bend, Oregon.
Blockbuster may have survived if it had bought Netflix when the streaming service was still just a startup. The company reportedly considered buying Netflix for $50 million, equating to $88.3 million today.
