Blockbuster Closes Last Remaining Stores

Blockbuster will close its remaining video stores by the end of next year, its parent company DISH network said Wednesday.

The announcement affects the Blockbuster in Trexlertown, the only one of the video rental chain's locations to survive a mass of shutdowns in 2011.

An employee who answered the phone at the store Wednesday simply said "We're not supposed to confirm that," and referred other questions to the corporate media office.

The company says it will continue the Blockbuster brand through its On-Demand offerings, which allow customers to stream movies and TV shows.

"This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment," Joseph P. Clayton, DISH president and chief executive officer said in a news release.

DISH bought Blockbuster at auction in 2011. That same year, the chain shut down several stores around the country, including nearly all of its Lehigh Valley locations.