On paper, Blockbuster’s new no-late-fees policy sounds great. (Or reads great. Paper usually doesn’t talk.) But the thing is, people will now have even less incentive to return the movies that are almost never available. Shelves will stay barren for much longer. Unless the stores simultaneously increase inventory, this will effectively make renting the movie you want from Blockbuster even more difficult — albeit cheaper for the lucky few who find something to rent before you do.
I give Blockbuster props for implementing this — yes, I said props — but my chief complaint about the store has never been the late fees. Five days to a week seems like an ample rental period to me. What I’ve always found annoying was the fact that the films I want never seem to be in, and that the shelves are stocked primarily with empty display cases. I’m not just talking about any particular month’s most popular movie, or about the most obscure esoteric art film. My tastes run a wide enough gamut, I think. I’m talking across the board here. If Blockbuster can do a better job of keeping its shelves full, maybe then I’ll have more reason to browse there.
This new policy, though, sounds like it may wind up doing more harm than good.