Bankrupt video-rental company Blockbuster may put itself up for sale as early as next week, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The company had previously planned to reorganize, but creditors couldn't agree on a plan to restructure its debt.
Safeway might not seem to have any connection to Blockbuster, but it turns out the supermarket operator is the landlord of several Blockbuster stores slated for closure. Safeway has filed a motion to ensure the liquidations don't disrupt neighboring businesses.
It's easy to blame Blockbuster's collapse, which culminated Thursday in a voluntary Chapter 11 filing, on the rise of streaming Internet video and kiosk rental options. But Netflix faced the same threats and it's thriving. So what did Netflix do smarter than its bankrupt rival?
Blockbuster's long anticipated bankruptcy filing is apparently headed down the final stretch and could come by the end of the week. One of the cost-cutting moves the video chain is teeing up calls for 500 to 800 additional store closures beyond the nearly 1,000 it previously planned.