Netflix plans to open brick-and-mortar locations: NPR

The public cannot normally visit Netflix’s headquarters in Los Gatos, California. But the company hopes the retail, dining and entertainment locations it plans to open starting in 2025 will attract a lot of people.

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP

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MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP

The public cannot normally visit Netflix’s headquarters in Los Gatos, California. But the company hopes the retail, dining and entertainment locations it plans to open starting in 2025 will attract a lot of people.

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP

Netflix recently shut down its long-time mail-order DVD service, shuttering video stores around the world and ushering in the era of streaming. But now it appears the company is embracing brick and mortar.

according to Bloomberg Netflix aims to open a network of stores offering retail, dining and live entertainment services that leverage its TV shows and movies, according to Josh Simon, the company’s vice president of consumer products.

Netflix hasn’t announced what it will sell at the sites; It’s not clear if DVDs or any type of physical media will be part of the inventory.

The streaming company plans to open the first two “Netflix House” locations in undisclosed cities in the United States in 2025. It hopes to expand the concept to major cities around the world after that.

“We’ve seen how much fans love being immersed in the world of our films and TV shows,” Simon told Bloomberg. “And we’ve been thinking a lot about how to take this to the next level.”

Netflix did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.

Although Disney, one of Netflix’s main competitors, has been present in the retail, dining, and live entertainment spaces for decades, those offerings are not yet part of Netflix’s core brand. But the company has recently begun to engage in these areas.

Earlier this year, the streaming company opened a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles featuring menu items created by chefs associated with Netflix cooking shows. The company has also launched pop-up stores featuring merchandise from its hit show Weird things In cities like Paris, Las Vegas and Chicago.

I also participated in The Queen’s Ball: The Bridgerton Experiencea traveling production that recreated sets from the Netflix show Bridgerton With actors, live music and dancing.

It’s not unusual for successful online brands to gravitate to the physical world. For example, Amazon opened brick-and-mortar stores and acquired Whole Foods Market.

“Netflix is ​​an ecosystem,” said Rick Monarrez, a Netflix entrepreneur. “It opened a merchandise store a couple of years ago. It’s investing in mobile gaming. It’s more than just a place for the remote to be drawn to at the end of a long day.” “. chief media analyst at investment advisory firm The Motley Fool, in a statement to NPR. “Success in the real world with location-based entertainment is the spoils of victory for a leading tastemaker. If Disney and NBC Universal can operate theme parks, I give Netflix a good chance of succeeding in this venture.”

But NPR TV critic Eric Deggans is less convinced by Netflix’s forays into the real world.

“It feels like Netflix is ​​trying to do what Disney is doing,” Deggans said. “But Disney has been doing what Disney does for a very long time. And the amount of money Netflix has to spend to actually compete with them makes no sense to me.”

“I think it’s kind of a weird experiment, and they probably won’t do it for a long time,” Deggans added.