For the past two decades, Redbox kiosks have been a familiar sight across the country.
However, with advancements in technology and the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, the popularity of DVD vending machines has declined. This led to Redbox’s parent company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year.
While some of Redbox’s 34,000 kiosks are still operating in locations like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Kroger, these businesses are now making plans to decommission them permanently, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The process of removing these kiosks is challenging because they weigh a substantial 890 pounds and are often anchored to a concrete base.
Despite the complexities involved, North Carolina resident Jacob Helton managed to acquire his own Redbox machine by striking a deal with a contractor responsible for removing it from outside a local drugstore.
Helton expressed his appreciation for Redbox’s role in American media history, stating that “its collapse marks the end of the video rental era.”
Each Redbox kiosk can store around 600 movie DVDs (they also offered games until 2019), and Helton plans to give away the DVDs in his machine and replace them with his personal collection.
Retailers, such as Walgreens, are eager to offload the kiosks quickly, as they spend significant sums each month to power them and need the space for other facilities.
A removal company in Alabama has already removed nearly 50 kiosks, collecting around 20,000 DVDs for recycling and generating revenue from scrap metal.
With numerous Redbox machines still scattered across the country and a lengthy removal process ahead, it will be some time before these iconic machines disappear entirely from the urban landscape.
