McDonald's tests dollar DVD Kiosks in 105 Denver stores

May 26, 2004

jef195 used our news submit to tell us that the McDonalds hamburger chain is moving into Blockbuster's territory. Or all the DVD rental stores for that matter. Now, as you eat your filet-o-fish, you can rent Finding Nemo for a buck. At these prices they are going to upset the movie rental world. Couple that with the amount of stores they have, some 30,000 and you have some serious competition. Oh, and shall we sell squares as to when Wendy's and Burger King jump on the bandwagon as well?

McDonald's Corp. said Monday it will rent out DVDs at 105 of its Denver stores, in a wider test of offering patrons movies with their burgers and fries.

McDonald's already offers automated digital video disk rentals at kiosks in 34 Denver stores. The remaining kiosks will be installed by the end of June, spokeswoman Lisa Howard said.

"We're looking for solutions for people living very busy lives who are looking for convenience, value and a relevant offering," Howard said.

The Redbox machines will be in operation 24 hours a day. New DVD releases will be added every Tuesday. The charge for a DVD is $ 1 a day plus tax, with a credit card used for payment. The kiosks, made by Los Gatos, Calif.-based DVDPlay Inc., hold as many as 350 copies of the top 25 or 30 movie titles.

Seems like a brilliant idea to me. Although I can't see the connection between McDonalds and a DVD Movie. But, Blockbuster charges $ 3.99 for 3 days and you have to return it to the same store. Ronald McDonald doesn't care, just dump 'em off at any of the Golden arches.

Source: The Daily Herald