"In 2010, Blockbuster Corporate filed for bankruptcy. The once giant video store chain had fallen from over 9094 stores in 2004 to a mere 1700 struggling corporate locations. By April 2011 they were being auctioned off and the winning bid of 320 million dollars went to Dish Network, a satellite TV provider. Slowly the new operators began closing corporate owned stores and in January 2014 the final Blockbuster Corporate location closed. This left only a few franchise locations around the world and at the end of March 2019 only 1 store remained, our store in Bend Oregon," says the official website.

"Ken & Debbie Tisher along with their two teenagers (Marc and Rory) moved to Bend in September 1990. The following December they opened the very first Pacific Video Store on the south end of Bend. Two years later they opened the second of what was later to become 3 Central Oregon locations, here at 211 NE Revere. As small business owners the Tisher’s recognized they had the opportunity to bring the movie experience to our family homes. By offering the newest movie titles and our favorite classics on VHS they were able to give the Bend community an inexpensive alternative to going out to the theater.

"After successfully operating their locally owned video stores for 10 years, the Tisher’s, along with their partners, Debbie’s parents, Larry and Berniece Doan made the decision to become a Blockbuster Franchise in June of 2000. This was the beginning of our Blockbuster Story: how a small business, thru stubborn determination and a bit of pure luck, has been able to operate in the chaos of an ever changing home video world."

"I was expecting the last Blockbuster store in the world to be a novelty attraction. I imagined a business that caters to tourists, with museum-like exhibits about the history of Blockbuster Video and memorabilia from famous films.

"But to my surprise, that’s not what I found. Instead, this modest store in Bend, Oregon is literally just a stereotypical Blockbuster store like those you remember from the ’90s, with aisles and aisles of DVDs sorted alphabetically by film genre, plus a bargain bin of old movies for sale, and a section of movie candy," the Quirky Travel Guy says.

"The walls are still yellow. One of them holds a giant selection of new releases. Local residents browse the shelves like it’s still 1997. I overhear a mother and young daughter debating which DVD to rent for the night."

"Blockbuster, colloquially known as the Last Blockbuster, is a video rental store in Bend, Oregon. In 2018, it became the last Blockbuster store in the United States, and in 2020, it became the world's last remaining retail store using the Blockbuster brand.

"Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and Revere Avenue, the Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, was opened by Ken and Debbie Tisher in 1992 as the second location of Pacific Video, a small video rental store chain in the state. They previously attempted to negotiate a location by a Shopko near U.S. Route 97. In an interview with The Bulletin regarding his first store, Tisher stated that he wanted to approach video business as a "mom-and-pop store". In 2000, Tisher converted it into a Blockbuster franchise store. Sandi Harding has been the general manager since 2004.

"The location has become a popular tourist destination since becoming the last Blockbuster. Ken Tisher, who still owns the store, continues to license the Blockbuster trademark from Dish Network on a yearly basis, which also allows the location to sell merchandise using the name. The store stocks around 1,200 titles and has an estimated 4,000 members who regularly rent movies."

"The store displays several pieces of film memorabilia that formerly belonged to actor Russell Crowe, including his hood from Robin Hood (2010), jockstrap from the 2005 movie Cinderella Man, robe and shorts from Cinderella Man (2005), vest from Les Misérables (2012), and director's chairs from American Gangster (2007). The pieces were gifted from the last operating Alaskan Blockbuster in Anchorage following the closure in July 2018. The items were originally donated to the Alaska store for an April 2018 segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." (Wikipedia)

"On a recent trip to Bend, Oregon, I took a walk down memory lane by visiting the last Blockbuster store in the US. As locations around the world closed, the location in Bend held on and became the last remaining store in operation in 2019. Now, it's a fully operational video-rental store (and nostalgia museum of sorts) that's open seven days a week," the Business Insider says.

"The big glass windows resembled the ones on the stores I visited as a kid, with vibrant advertisements shouting the promise of new releases and a great movie selection. There was a return drop box right next to the double doors, and the Blockbuster sign stood like a giant marquee.

"Wandering the aisles, I was surprised to see just how many titles were in stock. This didn't seem like a location that was struggling to get inventory in — and it certainly wasn't displaying dilapidated cases. Its selection of movies seemed extensive. I found every comedy, drama, classic, and new release I sought out."

"Today, the last brick-and-mortar Blockbuster on Earth remains one of the top things to do when visiting Bend, Oregon—and keeps its enormous popularity intact by renting movies, selling souvenirs, and offering a trip down memory lane.

" It may be hard to imagine now, but Blockbuster Videos once filled strip malls across the United States. Walking through the aisles today feels like a trip back in time—when dozens of copies of the latest hit movie filled entire walls and classics covered metal aisles across the expansive stores. The Blockbuster in Bend retains that vibe and looks just as it might have in the early 2000s," the Visit Central Oregon says.

"The last Blockbuster feels a bit like a museum that pays tribute to Blockbuster’s glory days—complete with movie memorabilia, titles for sale, candy, and souvenirs. Pick up a T-shirt, key chain, coffee mug, and laminated membership card to commemorate the experience."

"About 80 per cent of the shop’s revenue now comes from tourists stocking up on everything from $20 Blockbuster t-shirts to $7 yellow-and-blue dog bandanas," The Telegraph says.

"But along with those who flock to Blockbuster, Bend, for the novelty, there is still a dedicated customer base who regularly go there to rent films.

"Just as some people donate to wildlife charities to help protect endangered species, some dedicated fans send money to the shop every month to support the location."

"The Last Blockbuster, at the crossroads of Revere Avenue and U.S. Route 20, in Bend, Oregon, has evolved into an unexpected tourist attraction. It was Ken and Debbie Tisher's second store when it opened in 1992, and it has been thriving ever since, especially during the early 2000s when Blockbuster was at the peak of its popularity with over 9,000 outlets," The Travel says.

"However, the number of stores had decreased to roughly 1,700 by the time the company declared bankruptcy in 2010. As of July 2018, the Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, was the last of its kind in the United States, and as of March 2019, it was the last one in the world.

"As a result of financial constraints, the last time Blockbuster saw any renovations was in 2006. Popcorn ceilings, yellow walls, gray carpets, and dim fluorescent lighting; it's like stepping back in time. The wire rack that still holds DVD cases gives off a strong plastic smell. Candies and popcorn bags are on sale at the register. Employees can provide feedback in person or via suggestion shelves."

"Blockbuster Video is an American multimedia brand and former video rental store chain. It was founded by David Cook in 1985 as a stand-alone mom-and-pop home video rental shop, but later grew into a national store chain featuring video game rentals, DVD-by-mail, streaming, video on demand, and cinema theater. The company expanded internationally throughout the 1990s. At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster employed 84,300 people worldwide and operated 9,094 stores," the Wikipedia says.

"Poor leadership and the impact of the Great Recession were major factors leading to Blockbuster's decline, as was the growing competition from Netflix's mail-order service, video on demand, and Redbox automated kiosks. Significant loss of revenue occurred during the late 2000s, and the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010.

"The next year, its remaining 1,700 stores were bought by satellite television provider Dish Network, and by 2014, the last 300 company-owned stores were closed. Although corporate support for the brand ended, Dish retained a small number of franchise agreements, enabling some privately owned franchises to remain open. Following a series of further closures in 2019, only one franchised store remains open, located in Bend, Oregon, United States."