Despite a national restructuring shuttering 146 stores nationwide, both St. Albert Blockbuster stores will remain open.
The company announced earlier this week that it will be closing stores as part of its bankruptcy proceedings stores. A total of 15 stores in Alberta are closing, including six in Edmonton.
The stores that are closing will be hosting clearance sales, selling all of their remaining merchandise.
The company is not making any public comments on the process, but a spokesperson for the law firm handling the process said they regretted having to close any stores.
"While the need to consolidate stores is unfortunate, we are pleased with the level of interest in Blockbuster Canada Co.'s operations expressed by potential purchasers to date," Michael Creber, spokesperson for Grant Thorton Ltd. said in a press release.
The statement said the store closings were part of a bid to make the company a more attractive sales option in the future.
A store manager at the Blockbuster on Bellerose Drive said she was not allowed to speak with the media.
The company is facing new competition from online and mail order video services, as well as new kiosks. It announced its bankruptcy and restructuring plans in early May.
The bankruptcy move comes after the American parent company made a similar move last September.
The Canadian arm of the company had outstanding debts to several film studios adding up to $67 million that were a major factor in the company’s bankruptcy filing.
The two Blockbuster stores in St. Albert are the only video rental outlets in the city after the closure of a Rogers outlet earlier this year.
