Blockbuster Is Still a Hit—South of the Border
The video chain lives on in Mexico, with few rivals and less streaming
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In the U.S., trekking to the local video rental store is seen as a throwback to a bygone era only missed by the aging or uncool. Don’t tell that to Jose Molina as he stands in line at a Blockbuster store in Mexico City’s Roma district—a neighborhood of cafes, street fairs, and century-old homes near the city center. The student and part-time call-center worker, waiting to return FIFA 14, a soccer game for Microsoft’s Xbox console, routinely uses the store to try out new releases. “It usually takes me about four to five days to finish a game, so it’s convenient,” Molina says. “If I like it a lot, then I’ll buy it.”