PLATTSBURGH — The Blockbuster store in the Town of Plattsburgh will be closing.
The store, which rents out movies and video games, has been on Smithfield Boulevard for years. Customers were told of the closure this week.
A sign posted behind the counter reads: “Dear friends, we regret to inform you that Saturday will be our last day as a rental store.”
Monday, Aug. 6, it adds, will be the beginning of a liquidation sale to get rid of inventory. It says the store will close for good on Thursday, Sept. 20.
“Thank you for your loyalty,” the sign concludes.
It is signed by Blockbuster staff members, including some who have worked at the store for four years.
Colleen Betrus of Peru and her three children learned of the closing Wednesday while at the store to rent video games.
The family has been going to Blockbuster for years to acquire both games and movies.
“We love this place,” Betrus said.
Although the family also uses Netflix, a popular service that allows subscribers to rent movies via mail or stream them online, Blockbuster has provided a way for Betrus’s children to experience new and often expensive video games on a rental basis without having to purchase them.
“They just got an Xbox, so they were all excited to rent games,” she said.
Britt and Robyn Lindsey of Morrisonville were also saddened by news of the closure.
The couple have been renting movies from the Smithfield Boulevard location, which previously housed Empire Video, for more than 20 years.
“We’re disappointed,” Britt said. “We’re sad.”
“We know the people that work here, so it’s sad that they’re losing their jobs,” Robyn said.
Last year, the bankrupt big-box store was purchased by Dish Network. Some stores were shut down elsewhere in the United States but the Plattsburgh location remained open.
Messages left for Blockbuster’s corporate offices were not returned on Wednesday; employees in Plattsburgh could not comment on how many jobs will be lost or other information.
Email Ashleigh Livingston:
alivingston@pressrepublican.com
