Latest Releases Arriving Late

In the past, when Blockbuster Online was a pretty good service, new releases would often arrive very quickly. If you lived near a distribution center, you could expect DVDs to arrive as early as the day after their release date (conceivably, even on the release date). It appears that rapid delivery system has changed.

If Blockbuster Online ships a DVD to you shortly after its release date, do not be surprised if it takes two or three extra days to arrive in your mailbox. Blockbuster Online must be shipping their newest releases from remote distribution centers.

This delay will extend your turnaround time. So, if you want to keep your turnaround times short, you might want to keep those new releases lower down in your queue for the first several days after their release. Presumably, once demand has slightly waned and every distribution center has a modest supply of the newest titles, you should have a better chance of Blockbuster shipping your DVD from your nearest distribution center.

Of course, if you just have to see that new release as soon as it comes out, the extended transit time might be worth it to you, and you will want to keep that new release at the top of your queue. Also, if your plan allows it, you can simply use an in-store exchange to get that new release. (Note: New releases almost always come out on Tuesdays.)