It's not really that surprising.
On the heels of big business gains for streaming video services – including Rogers' own streaming arm of its cable business – Rogers has pulled the plug on its ailing video rental business. Rogers Video stores will no longer be available for that late-night hankering for a widely available DVD.
It's a bit of a shame, really, in the grand scheme ot things. As a child of the 80s, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has fond memories of trips to the video rental store. Picking out a copy of Ghostbusters or the Land Before Time at my local Jumbo Video, then Blockbuster and finally Rogers, was a time-honoured tradition which was eventually relegated to holidays only.
But even my family, oft-times the last adopters of technology, now opt to turn on the DVR and see what's for rent rather than use the gas and patience needed to go to the store.
The good part for you, the consumer, is that with the closing comes some pretty outstanding deals on physical media. The downside are all the people who rely on those brick and mortar locations for jobs.
I can still remember talking to frustrated Blockbuster employees this summer when I was taking advantage of the deals from its closing of stores. Made it a bit harder to get excited about my purchases knowing how many people were being let go at once.
The 460 Rogers Video locations across Canada are all liquidating merchandise so they can shut their doors. Hopefully with Rogers being a larger congolomerate, its employees will land on their feet in other positions at Rogers or with good references elsewhere.
JD
Original article: Rogers shutting down video-rental business (FP Tech Desk)
