A Return to the Sell-Through Business Model? (1 Viewer)

[Clinton McClure]

I have recently found it disturbing that several big-title movie releases have hit B&M video stores for sale but not for rent. Two of the biggest titles which come to mind are Happy Feet and eragon. I had no interest in renting Happy Feet, but I wanted to rent eragon before buying it so I could see if it was as good as the book and worth the purchase price. (It wasn't by a long shot.) All of the local video stores had it for sale the first two weeks it was out but not for rent, and of course the floor-level employees have no idea why. One kid at Blockbuster said the store had corporate orders to sell but not rent the title.
Is this a regional thing or is sell-through marketing coming back around?

 

[Jon Martin]

Netflix had HAPPY FEET (probably ERAGON too, I haven't looked for it). I don't think there is a policy against renting the titles, just your store.

 

[Jean-Michel]

The local Hollywood had dozens of Eragon and Happy Feet available for rent on the street date.

 

[Yumbo]

Why do Weinstein DVDs have a FOR SALE only screen before the movie? Is there a rental version?

 

[Arnie G]

My local Hollywood has both too.

 

[Jon Martin]

The Weinstein's have a special deal with Blockbuster, claiming that they are the only ones allowed to rent their DVDs. They probably make special DVDs for them.

Netflix and other stores are getting around it by just buying the DVDs and renting them that way. So, if you rent one of their DVDs, you will see that notice.

 

[Adam_S]

must be local, our blockbuster had hundreds of copies of both for rent.

 

[Sean Richardson]

How many stores are you talking about? If it's a bunch, it must be regional for some reason, but if it's just one, it sounds like the store is getting ready to close but not telling the employees yet.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

As I recall, DVD has always been a sell-through product. The old "rental window" system is the reverse of what you describe, in which (typically) tapes would be priced very high, $100 or $200 for the first month or so, so that only rental outlets could afford them, and then there would be a price drop so that consumer outlets could buy. The idea was to get back part of the money the studios figured they were losing by not selling a copy to every single rental customer, but DVDs have never been priced that way.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Sean, there are three stores, a Crossroads Entertainment, Hastings and Blockbuster. None of the three are renting the two afore mentioned titles, yet they are selling them. They also are getting most new releases for rent as well as purchase, so those two titles stick out like sore thumbs.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

That strikes me as odd, as I had no problem renting Eragon for my daughter a couple of weeks ago from my local Blockbuster. I have yet to develop the desire to rent Happy Feet.