Netflix pioneered the current age of streaming services, which (at least partially) was responsible for the downfall of physical media stores like Blockbuster. However, Netflix is now trying its luck with physical store locations, as the company just confirmed in a Bloomberg report. The company should certainly have enough money for the effort after all those recent price increases.
Netflix is working to open physical, Netflix-themed locations dubbed “Netflix Houses.” These will apparently be a mix of retail, dining, and live experiences that will allow you to immerse yourself in the world of your favorite Netflix shows. Think of this like a mini-theme park of sorts. You can shop for merch of your favorite shows, get a bite, and maybe even partake in a Squid Game-themed obstacle course. It’s no Walmart, and certainly no Blockbuster. The closest analogy might be DisneyQuest, which was intended to be a chain of indoor theme parks by Disney, but the effort wasn’t all that successful.
This is definitely not the first time Netflix has done in-person experiences like this one, as it has organized pop-up fan experiences in several cities around the world. However, these Netflix Houses locations will be permanent locations that will presumably be constantly changed and remodeled depending on what are the hottest shows on Netflix and what’s premiered on the platform — otherwise, they will probably lose their appeal after a while. This is just another attempt of Netflix looking to market its shows more and more, and to build a community of fans around them. These physical locations will likely come in handy for Netflix’s biggest upcoming launches once they’re ready.
In a statement, Josh Simon, the company’s vice president of consumer products, went on to add that “we’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level.” Netflix says that it hopes to open the first locations in the United States by 2025, before going to expand the concept in more locations around the world.
Source: Bloomberg
