Redbox Shutting Down After 22 Years

Alright El Paso, let’s take a stroll down memory lane: Remember those iconic red kiosks where you could snag a DVD for a movie night? Well, it’s time to say goodbye to them. *Cries in Spanish*

After 22 years, Redbox is officially shutting down. Walgreens stores will now have this huge empty spot outside their stores as these red kiosks begin to disappear.

Redbox’s parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, recently switched from Chapter 11 bankruptcy to Chapter 7, sealing the fate of all Redbox DVD rental kiosks and streaming services. Yikes.

Redbox burst onto the scene in 2002, popping up everywhere from fast-food joints to grocery stores.

For me and my son, Redbox movie nights were the highlight of our weekends! We would head out to a local Walgreens in our pajamas, he would decide what movie we would be watching, then we would head into Walgreens and grab some snacks for our movie night! So, hearing this news is sad, but not surprising.

Its affordable pricing and convenience quickly made it a hit, even surpassing Blockbuster in locations just five years later.

But, as physical media fades into the background, streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ reign supreme, offering endless entertainment at the click of a button.

This shift to digital has impacted more than just Redbox. Retail giants like Target and Best Buy are also scaling back on physical media sales, with Best Buy planning to completely phase out DVD and Blu-ray sales by early 2024.

So, let’s pour one out for Redbox, a staple of movie night for families, friends, and lovers.