Blockbuster Inc. (Dallas) has said that it is considering selling video and game players and other home electronics in its stores.
“When you combine the strength of our brand and the strength of our store distribution network, it lends itself to the sale of consumer electronics,” said Karen Raskopf, Blockbuster senior vp for corporate communications.
The world's largest movie-rental retailer experimented with the limited-time sale of DVD-VHS combination video players in 2000 of its 7800 stores last year. During the past holiday season, Blockbuster sold DVD players at all of its stores and Raskopf said the sale met with strong consumer response. Blockbuster has also become the second-biggest retailer of DirecTV satellite television systems.
The company did not specify how its new direction will affect the six-month-old arrangement it has with RadioShack (Fort Worth, Texas) to placed RadioShack vendor shops in selected Blockbuster stores. Raskopf said the two companies “are currently evaluating the future” of the arrangement.