Netflix Brick-and-Mortar Locations: A Worthwhile Experiment?

By now, the early days of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) have become an oft-repeated and popular legend. Netflix launched a DVD rental and sales website in 1998. Demand for a DVD subscription service was strong at the time. However, the company would become a household name when it launched its streaming service in January 2007. Netflix grew into a streaming behemoth through the 2010s, eventually inspiring a slew of competitors from giants like Amazon, Disney, Apple, and others.

Not many consumers would think that Netflix would want to venture back into the physical media space. However, that is exactly what it is reported to be planning. Netflix plans to launch retail locations by 2025, dubbed Netflix House.

Netflix House will offer food and other entertainment experiences which will reportedly be themed after whatever is popular on the streaming service at the time. The company currently operates an online merchandise shop where it sells content-inspired items. For example, a Stranger Things-themed T-shirt or a Wednesday bobble head.

The opening of Netflix retail locations is a seemingly bold move in an environment that has seen the slashing of retail locations across North America. However, Netflix appears confident that it can leverage its dominant role in the streaming space with a set of retail locations that are sure to inspire curiosity, at the very least. The company attracted criticism when it launched its crackdown on password sharing, but the move has led to a surge in revenues. Its leadership may be lining up for another hit as it rolls out this bold idea.