Deerfield Blockbuster to Close April 10

Residents will have to start traveling farther for their movie rentals. The Blockbuster location in Deerfield is scheduled to shut its doors April 10. The closing is part of the Dallas-based company’s efforts to restructure its debt as it receives bids from buyers.

Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September and in February the company announced it was looking for a buyer in an attempt to maximize value for its stakeholders.

Founded in 1985 as a chain of video rental stores, Blockbuster has expanded its business model to include rentals by mail, digital downloads and video kiosks, but has faced financial hardship in the face of competition from other businesses like Netflix and Redbox. The company has stated that a majority of its retail stores will stay open during the sale process.

Along with Deerfield, the Lake Forest and Park Ridge locations are both expected to close in two weeks. Other recent closures include stores in Niles and Northbrook.

“As part of recapitalization process, Blockbuster will be evaluating its U.S. store portfolio with a view towards enhancing the overall profitability of the store operations,” said a Blockbuster spokesperson through e-mail.

The company does not comment on individual stores and Blockbuster employees are not allowed to talk to members of the media.

The store at 711 Waukegan Road is no longer renting DVDs or games, but the store’s entire inventory is for sale at discounts up to 54 percent. On Sunday, the discs for TV shows had been attached with rubber bands and were being sold by the season.

Deep discounts are available on movies, games, snacks and even the cards used to label products. Signs advertised Blockbuster’s mail rental service, offering an in store special with subscriptions starting at $11.99 including a free month, two previously viewed DVDs or Blu-ray discs and a rental at any other Blockbuster location.

Northbrook resident Susan Weil said she’d never been to the Deerfield Blockbuster before. A collector of old movies, Weil said she used to shop at both Blockbuster and Borders in Northbrook, but with both local stores closed she’d been visiting the Deerfield when she saw the store closing signs at Blockbuster and decided to stop in.

“I was satisfied with what I found and the price is right,” she said.