10 Brands That May Disappear in 2011

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

While true, BB has pretty well documented problems both at the in the store policy level and at the corporate making profits level. The stuff's in the paper and online.

This is exactly what I'm talking about, though. Home offices sometimes have a way of dismissing news reports, online reports, etc. that portray the office in a negative light while reassuring employees that it's not that bad, their job is stable, and everything's going to be better next year. Not all employees fall for it, but a surprising number do, and these are educated people.

It's easy for those of us on the outside of the company to say "oh we can see the writing on the wall" but the simple fact that there are people who still work for the company and haven't jumped ship yet speaks to the theory that it's not so clear from the inside.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by agzg

This is exactly what I'm talking about, though. Home offices sometimes have a way of dismissing news reports, online reports, etc. that portray the office in a negative light while reassuring employees that it's not that bad, their job is stable, and everything's going to be better next year. Not all employees fall for it, but a surprising number do, and these are educated people.

It's easy for those of us on the outside of the company to say "oh we can see the writing on the wall" but the simple fact that there are people who still work for the company and haven't jumped ship yet speaks to the theory that it's not so clear from the inside.

Possibly, but if you're willingly deluding yourself, isn't it your own fault? The times I've been working for companies at risk of disappearing it was more of a low level worry, where you're looking for other jobs on the side without over-stressing about what you can't change. But no matter how the positive talk came down, when cost-cutting measures were implemented we knew why and what it meant.

I suspect that they'd want to switch jobs but a) are hoping to make it to retirement, b) hoping for a severance package and/or c) can't find anything else right now, or d) retail is retail failing business or not.

I don't know, I just don't think your job should ever have the same amount of affect or spin on your thoughts as like... (bad analogy) an abusive partner.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Possibly, but if you're willingly deluding yourself, isn't it your own fault? The times I've been working for companies at risk of disappearing it was more of a low level worry, where you're looking for other jobs on the side without over-stressing about what you can't change. But no matter how the positive talk came down, when cost-cutting measures were implemented we knew why and what it meant.

I suspect that they'd want to switch jobs but a) are hoping to make it to retirement, b) hoping for a severance package and/or c) can't find anything else right now, or d) retail is retail failing business or not.

I don't know, I just don't think your job should ever have the same amount of affect or spin on your thoughts as like... (bad analogy) an abusive partner.

I don't think it's necessarily their own fault... I don't know. I hesitate to think of my coworkers that were blindsided when their subsidiary of the larger company was shut down and they were laid off as people who wouldn't "get it" - I guess it depends on the sector though as it was definitely not retail, and the rest of the subsidiaries were having banner years.

It also depends on the cost-cutting - it happens in good times and in bad. Part of it (I'm sure) also has something to do with whether or not you hate, like, or love your job, and the company that you work for. I'm not saying that Blockbuster is "OMG like the best company EVAR!" but I'm sure there are people there that love their job and the company.

If people are looking for other jobs (which really I think everyone should do whether or not they like their job now just because it helps you to know what you're worth as a worker), and waiting until those come through, that's one thing, but I'd imagine people would be leaving in droves rather than trickles. I don't know what Blockbuster's current workforce looks like, though, so I have little frame of reference.

ETA: FWIW, many of the employees from the different subsidiary of my own company were either moved before the end of their employment or subsequently hired by other subsidiaries of the company. Keeping it in the family, and that. At least 5 of my coworkers were laid off at the other subsidiary, and we're a 20 person department.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by agzg

Home offices sometimes have a way of dismissing news reports, online reports, etc. that portray the office in a negative light while reassuring employees that it's not that bad, their job is stable, and everything's going to be better next year. Not all employees fall for it, but a surprising number do, and these are educated people.

It's easy for those of us on the outside of the company to say "oh we can see the writing on the wall" but the simple fact that there are people who still work for the company and haven't jumped ship yet speaks to the theory that it's not so clear from the inside.

Exactly and "falling for it" includes the team building (or whatever some companies call it) efforts to get everyone to remain positive and fight until the end.

Even when the company's failure is clear from the inside, most employees can't (shouldn't, won't...) jump ship and be a complete naysayer until their other employment prospects come through.

[FHwku]

BP: The case against the BP brand is not so much that the company will enter bankruptcy. It is that BP may end up breaking into pieces for its own sake. This may be to put the liabilities for the Deepwater Horizon spill into a company that also holds escrow capital to cover the huge costs of clean-up and suits. BP may also want to separate its successful refining operations from its exploration business, or recreate an American- based company similar to BP America, which existed for two decades. A restructuring of BP would also allow the firm to take a badly crippled brand and give the oil operation a new name -- much as it did when it changed its name from British Petroleum. The second time may be the charm.

"We're not the same guys who didn't spilled the oil. That was our evil twin BP. They're dead. See, we've got an eye-patch. We're green. We're green as hell."


also, Blockbuster will likely turn into a Netflix/Redbox-type company. maintaining kiosks and mailing out movies will save them an obscene amount of money in overhead, financing, taxes, et al. with 6,000+ stores and, say, 11 employees at each, that's a fat knot. "money won't fold, pockets so swoll'..." at the top, and 70,000 people looking for work. give or take 1,000 people. maybe less, 'cause they're gonna need a couple people to make the envelope sleeves, a few dozen to man each distribution center, the vending kiosk stocking/ maintenance people, 1 logistics guy, 2 accountants and a couple suits. oh, and a secretary.

[AGDee]

The one area that I see BlockBuster still having the corner on is renting video games. Do any of the other movie services mentioned also rent video games?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by AGDee

The one area that I see BlockBuster still having the corner on is renting video games. Do any of the other movie services mentioned also rent video games?

Netflix does.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by AGDee

The one area that I see BlockBuster still having the corner on is renting video games. Do any of the other movie services mentioned also rent video games?

And there is also GameFly that specializes in video games.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

And there is also GameFly that specializes in video games.

And Redbox is testing Blueray but not games AFAIK

[33girl]

I'm sorry, but these lists are bullshit. They're created by the same people who do the THESE COMPANIES ARE CLOSING news stories and then it turns out the company is closing 10 of their 500 locations or something.

Chicken Little needs to STFU.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by AGDee

The one area that I see BlockBuster still having the corner on is renting video games. Do any of the other movie services mentioned also rent video games?

I think video stores have the corner for casual renters or people who may not have access to the internet or credit/debit cards. AFAIK RedBox only carries new releases and if you only rent a movie 3 times a year like me NetFlix is a waste. I don't know about BB's financial health specifically, but I don't see brick and mortar video rental stores being a thing of the past just yet.

[epchick]

I thought of this thread today when my mom told me that the Hollywood Video by us is going out of business. That is the 3rd HV in town that has 'gone out of business.'

Why can BB leave instead?? I much prefer Hollywood!!! Where am I going to rent my movies now??? *sadness*

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by epchick

I thought of this thread today when my mom told me that the Hollywood Video by us is going out of business. That is the 3rd HV in town that has 'gone out of business.'

Why can BB leave instead?? I much prefer Hollywood!!! Where am I going to rent my movies now??? *sadness*

Family Video if you have them?

I've always liked them better. I think, though I'm not sure, that HV is gone completely... Game Crazy too. We lost all of them and we haven't had a BB for years.

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by epchick

I thought of this thread today when my mom told me that the Hollywood Video by us is going out of business. That is the 3rd HV in town that has 'gone out of business.'

Why can BB leave instead?? I much prefer Hollywood!!! Where am I going to rent my movies now??? *sadness*

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Family Video if you have them?

I've always liked them better. I think, though I'm not sure, that HV is gone completely... Game Crazy too. We lost all of them and we haven't had a BB for years.

Via Wiki:

Movie Gallery, Inc. (founded in Dothan, Alabama and headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon[1]) was the second largest movie and game rental company in the United States, behind Blockbuster Video. The company rented and sold Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, video tapes, and video games.
On April 30, 2010, Movie Gallery announced it was closing and liquidating all of its stores, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.[2][3]
At its peak the firm had about 4,700 stores in North America, operating mainly under the Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video, and Game Crazy brands.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Family Video if you have them?

I've always liked them better. I think, though I'm not sure, that HV is gone completely... Game Crazy too. We lost all of them and we haven't had a BB for years.

How sad

No we don't have a Family Video. We used to have one called "Major Video" (idk if that was a national chain or not) and I loooved them. When we got BB, I refused to go. Mainly because Major Video had a computer where you just had to type in the video you were looking for and it told you 1) if it was available 2) where it was located. BB never had that! lol.

I just like that you can rent any movie for 5 days at HV, at BB all the new movies were 1-nighters. The only good thing BB had going for them were the $.99 movies.