WOW, what a difference! In this episode, Alan Payne joins the show to talk about the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video. Alan was one of the most successful franchisees in Blockbuster history. He literally wrote the book on Blockbuster -- Built to Fail: The Inside Story of Blockbuster's Inevitable Bust, which was released in 2021. Alan and Dan discuss the history of the video business, inventory management, new releases versus older movies, and other aspects of the Blockbuster story. Throughout the conversation, you will recognize many concepts and principles from the world of process improvement and operational excellence. And don't worry. You can listen to the show anytime you want! There won't be any late fees.

In this episode you'll hear about:

2:05 - Concepts and principles from process improvement and operational excellence

4:56 - Alan's start in the grocery business

8:06 - Opening a video store across the street from a Blockbuster

10:19 - Keeping new releases in stock

14:09 - Alan moves to Blockbuster

17:07 - Analyzing the data at Alan's Blockbuster stores

21:15 - Inventory Management at Blockbuster

24:19 - The growth of Blockbuster

28:33 - What people wanted at a video store

31:57 - Voice of the Customer

Additional Resources

When Faith Fails- A