Those who pay a visit to Bend, Oregon might be surprised to discover a relic they thought was long extinct.
As Bend is home to the last operating Blockbuster Video store.
Indeed, with the development of streaming content, one would have assumed that all Blockbusters (or any video store, for that matter), were very much a thing of the past.
Yet, be it owing to devoted customers or unreliable internet connections, the Blockbuster of Bend, Oregon continues to live on, even if it must be the recipient of a fair amount of double-takes and confusion owing to the fact that it's still operating.
Blockbuster isn't the only business that people might be surprised is still operating, though.
Indeed, be it owing to an outdated product, an overtly niche market, or simply appalling management, there are many businesses and companies, both large and small, that people have trouble believing remain open.
Redditor LeviTheRelentless was eager to hear which companies people can't believe remain in business, leading them to ask:
"What companies do you look at and think, 'How the hell are they still in business?'"
Maybe Just Cleaner Than Their House?
'There’s a cereal bar not too far from my house."
"It’s in a strip mall; not really reasonable walking distance to any housing."
"It’s $9 for a bowl of cereal or $11 for AYCE."
"Fancy milk is extra."
"They only do Keurig coffee; not a coffee bar."
"You have to make a conscious decision to wake up, shower, get dressed, and drive to have a bowl of cereal (or many) for the price of a couple boxes."
"I don’t get it."- psbales
So Comforting To Know Your Health Is In Good Hands...
"UnitedHealthCare."
"Leaked 40% of the US PHI and medical records."
"Told the senate they should have MFA and reportedly paid hackers $22.5M to get unransomewared."
"How the hell they've skirted a dissolution is beyond me."- hel112570
They Know Their Crowd...
"There’s a Bingo Supply Store in Marquette Michigan in the Upper Peninsula that we were all convinced was a drug front in college."- Dapper-Spread-3083
Season 10 Fun GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy
Not Exactly A Useless Product
"There's this vacuum shop right next to a tobacco store I used to go to."
"They only sold vacuum cleaners."
"I never saw anyone in there, ever, other than someone standing behind the front desk."
"I once asked the guy at the tobacco shop if he had ever seen someone go in there and he laughed for a second, then seriously thought about it and said 'I don't know'."
"So, that place."- DIABLO258
...For People Who Kept Their Limited Edition VHS Boxes?
"I saw a VCR repair shop still open a couple days ago."- fatkidking
" Food As It Should Be"... To Whom?
"Panera Bread."
"$15 for a half sandwich and a bag of lousy chips."- BathroomInner2036
Mother GIF by Panera BreadGiphy
For Those Who Take Hygeine VERY Seriously...
"Posh soap shops in resort areas."
"I live near an area like that, and I never see people walking in or out."
"And seriously, how many bars of soap do you need to sell just to make rent, let alone pay the staff?"- isnob
Whose To Say WEATHER Or Not They Turn A Profit?
"My hometown is in the middle of bum f*ck nowhere with 10k people."
"How a barometer shop has lasted well over 30 years f*cking baffles me."- thorpie88
How People Still Buy Into This Is The Question...
"Any psychic or tarot card reader with a store front."- jj_dd
No Idea Idk GIF by goodfortunesonlyGiphy
Still A Nice Gesture, Just Not To Be Shared...
"How Edible Arrangements survived the pandemic is beyond me."- TheNoat
With This Ring...
"The class ring company Herff Jones."
"Their quality was absolutely horrible even back in the 80s and 90s."
"They would ship unfinished rings to people just to get there on time."
"'If they don't like it, they can send it back' was their way of being okay with it."
"These days you'd be lucky to get a stone to stay in IF the ring fits at all."- Accidental_Taco
"You've Got Mail"!
"AOL."
"I worked with a guy the other day who used an AOL email."- donutshopss
america online email GIFGiphy
Content Over Quality?
"Maybe not 'a company', but I wonder how all these 'I'm a major studio and made my own streaming service, and spent hundreds of millions of dollars on content that is only being released there' are still around."
"Like, the bubble should have popped 2 years ago but somehow they're still betting and losing on being 'the next big thing'."-pokematic
How Can You Name Just One?
"How many workers have thought this about every company they've ever worked for?"- AcademusUK
In Case You Wonder If A Pet Is Worth Splurging On...
"Hartz pet products."
"My gf is a vet tech and owns a dog grooming business."
"I hang out there and sometimes help out."
"I have seen so many animals affected by these products."
"The worst culprit is the flea collar."
"So many animals have adverse reactions to these collars."
"I've seen everything from hair falling out to massive skin reactions."
"My gf always tell every customer to avoid ALL Hartz products."
"The problem is that they are cheap and readily available at most stores."
"Considering the small sample size of my gfs buisness on the whole pet market, I cannot conceive how this company is still in business after all these years."- instant_ramen_chef
Some companies at least deserve props for determination, remaining open against the odds at a considerable financial cost.
Others should consider themselves lucky and hope and pray the FBI or IRS stay far far away.
At the very least, they can rest assured there will be work for them in the Bingo sales world...
