Renting it old school – Physical entertainment shouldn’t go out of style

In today’s world, entertainment is consumed like wildfire. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and iTunes iTunes make media available instantly.

Nowadays, more and more entertainment themed stores and physical rental stores are losing business thanks to streaming sites sucking up customer base.

Blockbuster has already collapsed and now Hastings, an entertainment superstore that sold everything that a media junkie could want, is going out of business.

Blake Coker | Argonaut

It’s hard to imagine a world without Netflix and Hulu, even though for decades, people viewed films and shows through physical entertainment and rental stores like Hastings. Before the digital age took over stores,  like Hastings and Blockbuster were the coolest places around.

Now, the average consumer can get everything they’ve ever wanted without leaving their room. Yes, that’s kind of cool, but also overwhelming.

The internet provides so many options, but making time for this stuff is a full-time job. Back in the days of rental stores, making time was crucial, as you had limited time to watch the latest film or else a late fee was due.

As crazy as it sounds, the consequence of late fees made viewers think on their feet and race to watch their content. Now, they put it off for months until Netflix switches out their slate and then Netflix binging begins.

There’s also the fact that some people prefer to buy their films physically. Hastings had a selection of virtually every film under the sun. Contrary to popular belief, Netflix does not have everything. Every month, they take films on and off their site.

Hastings had whatever you wanted on DVD, Blu-Ray and rental. If you rented a film, you could go back and buy it if you liked it — an option hardly available for streamers.

The loss of physical entertainment stores may be seen as a sign of progress. But for many, it’s the end of a nostalgic era they will have a hard time letting go of overtime.

Some people are old fashioned and want to feel the stuff in their hands rather than out in cyberspace. For those people, their time is slowly ticking out and that is a serious problem.

Bradley Burgess

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