Photography: Ryan Smith / FLICKR
A Friday night trip to Blockbuster to rent a VHS was a quintessential 90s experience for many Millennials. For four days next month, Londoners can take a trip down memory lane as a pop-up version of the beloved video rental store opens in Soho, in collaboration with KitKat.
The US chain debuted in the UK in 1989 and survived the switch from VHS to DVD before being killed off by online streaming services, and going into administration in 2010.
This true-to-life Blockbuster store recreation will open from 9-12 April and will feature the brand’s iconic yellow walls and blue ticket signage, grey carpet tiles and stacked shelves of videos organised by genre, plus a comfy chill-out zone complete with retro televisions.
According to KitKat’s parent company, Nestle, nearly a quarter of Brits (22%) fondly remember choosing movies in store, with Blockbuster voted one of the top 5 most missed high-street stores by Brits.
Visitors can pick up a case, take it to the front desk and receive a code to stream the film online, as well as a KitKat ‘sharing bar’ in one of three new flavours: hazelnut, double chocolate and salted caramel.
Other 90s and 00s brands rumoured to be making a comeback include Topshop and Topman, according to London newspaper The Standard.
