Holy hot damn RedBox is just a sweet company.

[StageLeft]

So, some of the grocers in my area have redbox.com boxes. These are vending machines for about 50 DVDs, all new release/popular ones (the bread and butter of Brick and Mortar conventional movie stores). To rent a movie, you pay $1/day+tax and swipe with your credit card. You get billed each day until you return the movie. After 25 days it's yours.

You can logon to redbox.com beforehand and reserve a movie, then when you get there you know it's available for you.

Contrast with movie gallery, for example: far less locations, less convenient, and they rent movies at "a dolar a day", but you have to get it for 5 days or so. Who needs that? 99% of the time a person wants a movie for a single day.

Redbox is just masterful. It is highly reliable, draws attention from people, making money on volume. I have no idea if the company's finances look good or not, but this is just a masterful execution of an idea. The combination of setups like this and online ensures that large movie-only B&Ms are simply moribund.

EDIT: I think that if Redbox was a woman it would be Jessica Biel combined with Pepper Potts from Ironman.

 

[manlymatt83]

Promo code DVDONME will let anyone try it out for free if they'd like (this promo code is publicly available).

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: manlymatt83
Promo code DVDONME will let anyone try it out for free if they'd like (this promo code is publicly available).

http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/

You're welcome

 

[Fingolfin269]

Yeah Red Box is great, unless you have a bunch of jackasses waiting in line who didn't make their selection online. I used the service once, chose my movies online, drove to the nearby McD's and there were about 6 people in line. Only one other person (the one right in front of me) had ordered their movies before showing up.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269
Yeah Red Box is great, unless you have a bunch of jackasses waiting in line who didn't make their selection online. I used the service once, chose my movies online, drove to the nearby McD's and there were about 6 people in line. Only one other person (the one right in front of me) had ordered their movies before showing up.

Yes, this is frustrating. They should probably pimp their online part more. I only have used it three times now or two times. Initially I didn't even know I could, but now it's likely all I'll do. I also think that when somebody shows up with a disc in hand, those in front should offer to let that person return, as long as that's all they have to do.