Blockbuster's Death Scene Won't End the Video Rental Store

The long-foretold death of the video rental shop—all but sealed Wednesday with news that Blockbuster will shut its last 300 stores in the U.S.—can be read as a wistful moment for retail nostalgics or a proud triumph of digital simplicity.

Blockbuster, bought by DISH Network out of bankruptcy two years ago, will turn out the lights on its final American storefront early next year and end its DVD-by-mail business next month. “This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” Joseph P. Clayton, DISH’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.