Ellicott City Blockbuster Closed, More Closures to Come

Blockbuster, the brick and mortar video store that has struggled in recent years amid competition from other video rental services, such as Redbox and Netflix, is warning that it will be closing more of its unprofitable stores.

Blockbuster, owned by Dish Network, plans to close “hundreds of stores in the coming weeks,” also, cutting jobs, according to a CNN Money article. But a Dish Network spokesman would not say which stores would be closing.  

According to the Christian Science Monitor, 300 Blockbuster stores across the country will close, with a loss of about 3,000 employees.

Blockbuster has already left parts of Maryland, recently closing its final Ellicott City location and, last year, its Eldersburg store, the last remaining in Carroll County.

Blockbuster does not operate any kiosks in Ellicott City, but there are a handfull around Howard County,  including:

• Food Lion: 5896 Robert Oliver Place in Columbia
• Food Lion: 6551 Waterloo Road in Elkridge
• Food Lionb: 705 Lisbon Center Drive in Woodbine

The first Blockbuster opened in Texas in 1985. With some 4,000 stores at its peak, it was once the leader in the video rental space, and the place to go to pick up new releases as well as classic movies, at a fraction of what it would cost to see them at a cinema, according to a Patch article.