Fact Check: Is the last Blockbuster store in Oregon shutting down? Viral post debunked
A post has been going viral on social media claiming that the last Blockbuster store, which is located in Bend, Oregon will shut its doors on Halloween, that is, October 31, 2024. Among many others, the news was also shared by an X user, Mario Nawfal on October 24, 2024, who stated:
“End of an era: last Blockbuster store closes. The final Blockbuster store, located in Bend, Oregon, is closing its doors on October 31, 2024, making the official end of the iconic video rental chain. Once a giant with over 9,000 stores worldwide, Blockbuster became a symbol of the past as streaming services took over.”
The post continued:
“The closure marks the end of a chapter, recalling a time when finding the perfect Friday night movie meant browsing through rows of tapes and DVDs-a ritual that will remain in the memories of many."
While the X user credited NBC News as the source of the information, however, no such piece of news was available on any of the social media handles of the media outlet. At the same time, the official Facebook page of Blockbuster, Bend too did not have any news of its shutting down post Halloween.
Furthermore, the manager of the store, Sandi Harding, also spoke to Central Oregon Daily on October 29, 2024, and denied the news of the store shut down. The manager said:
"It definitely made the phones blow up, the internet. We made a post on social media saying this wasn't true. We're not closing. But it still did not stop the phone calls and the emails."
Hence, the news about Blockbuster shutting down their last store is fake and holds no truth.
The hoax about Blockbuster shutting its last store led to a surge in orders during the last week: Fake news debunked
As the fake news about the video rental chain’s last store shutting down spread on social media, several fell prey and believed it to be true. Many media outlets like The Daily News also reported that the Bend Blockbuster Video’s manager, Sandi Harding spoke to the publication and reported how there was a very high surge of people coming in with their orders.
The manager confirmed that while the store has no plans of closing anytime soon, many believed the news to be true, and started coming in with huge orders. The publication also elaborated on a story of a man from Sacramento, California, who believed the hoax to be true and travelled all the way to Oregon to visit the store before its supposed closure.
The man, named Gallups, spoke to Central Oregon Daily and said:
"I'm scrolling through and I see this thing that says they're about to close on Halloween, and I'm just like 'No, I've been putting it off forever, so I took this as a sign that I finally needed to visit. rented a car real quick. I drove eight hours from Sacramento, California all the way up here.”
He continued:
"I'm thinking there should be a bit more pandemonium because it's going to close. I talk to the guy at the counter and I'm like 'Hey, are you guys closing?' and they go 'No, that's just a hoax.' I go 'Are you kidding me? No way.' I don't fall for those things, but they totally got me."
For the unversed, Blockbuster is a video rental store in Bend, Oregon. It was once part of a large chain, but now it’s the only remaining location. Founded by Ken and Debbie Tisher in 1992, the store is often the subject of hoaxes on social media. It’s important to recognize that such news is fake and can spread misinformation.