Apparently having given up on the whole movie rental thing as a way to lure customers into its few stores that remain open, Blockbuster is trotting out a free battery gimmick. Go into any participating store on Christmas and you can walk away with two packs of either AA or AAA batteries. If you need more than that, you can buy additional packs for a buck.
Check out the Blockbuster press release for full details, and note the “while supplies last” disclaimer. The release says Blockbusters will be open from noon to 10 p.m. on Christmas.
Don’t Put Your Holiday Cheer on Pause: Blockbuster¬Æ Giving Away Free Batteries on Christmas Day [Blockbuster via High-Def Digest]
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Blockbuster still has actual stores? Like, that you can walk into?
Why?
Kinda hard to give out free batteries on Christmas day without a local store!
Some people want to get movies without waiting for them in the mail, and the movie kiosks have limited selection. Is that so hard to understand?
These days with online streaming as well? Yes.
Not everyone has a way to watch online streaming on their computer, and those that do may not have a decent enough internet connection to support it.
Plus, on older movies, it’s almost always cheaper to rent in a store (those usually go for under $2/night) versus online.
Well, until Netflix puts the stuff on streaming I want to watch, stuff I don’t want to wait for a DVD in the mail for, if the local BB or Family Video has it I’ll just rent it.
Redbox has been doing older movies lately, I noticed. Especially if they have something to do with a recent release.
The one in my area still seems to get consistent business, it’s packed every Friday night. Go figure.
I wondered the same thing. They’ve closed all of the stores in my area.
Use rechargeable batteries.
But, I can buy 8 AA or AAA batteries @ Dollar Tree. Why do I need Blockbastard?
// no Blockbastard B&M for miles.
Make it a car battery and you have a deal.
There’s a Blockbuster close-ish to me and the employees there are actually really nice and helpful most of the time.
Might pop in for some free batteries, why not? I have a 4 year-old nephew and my brother is always buying batteries for his son’s toys. I’m sure he’d appreciate some extra AA or AAA batts.
If you need batteries, get Sayno’s Eneloop rechargeable batteries. They cost SLIGHTLY more than regular batteries, but are rechargeable and seemingly (as far as has been my experience) last for a really, really long time. I haven’t bought batteries in the past year, maybe two, because of these batteries.
Those are pretty much the best rechargables that you can buy. They also sell them under different brands and can be identified by the white ring around the positive terminal of batteries.
As much as I love Eneloop, claiming they are SLIGHTLY more expensive is a bit misleading. Amazon sells alkaline AAs for under $0.50 each, but Eneloops are $2.50 each (even in large quantities). That’s 5 times the price.
The Sanyo’s seem to last longer on a charge. I have an entire set of them, in all sizes, and I haven’t bought batteries in a couple of years now. Love the Eneloops.
Ummm HERE TAKE SOME BATTERIES! SWEATPANTS? COUGH SYRUP? PLEASE JUST COME INTO THE STORE!!!!
…
Would you like to buy some Dish Network?
I just heard a nasty rumor last night. AT&T is looking to possibly buy DISH Network. So the Death Star, DISH, and Blockbuster combining to form one ultra evil. *shudder*
Now we know where all those now defunct gift card balances went!
Free batteries? Seriously? At a video rental store?
If they rented porn, this would make sense.
+1
Hahaha, I am soooo happy I wasn’t the only one who was thinking that when I read this story.
I’m in ! I’m going to the store with my Blockbuster gift cards I received a couple of years ago. Just like cash! Oh………..wait a minute…….
It worked for Radio Shack. Back in the 80s, at least.
I would be lying if I said I make my own batteries at home. Instead, I buy Kirkland brand batteries in 40-packs at Costco.
IN HONOR OF JESUS’ BIRTHDAY BLOCKBUSTER IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE WE WILL BE OPEN FROM NOON TO 10:00 PM.
Jesus was born in December?
Reminds me of the old Radio Shack free battery a month promotion. Anyone else here old enough to remember that?
They’re trolling and luring the freeloaders with no life out of their house on christmas day. It’s like a page directly out of the script from “Catch Me If You Can”.
No other possible explanation for this, but anybody who leaves the house to find a blockbuster for a free pack of dollar-store batteries deserves the inconvenience for being so stupid.
Or the people who get all their family stuff done early.
I don’t get it… are they supposed to be for my DVD remote, which I only replaced every other year? I can’t think of anything else in my house that still uses AA or AAA batteries, everything else is rechargeable nowadays.