As its kiosk count approaches 40,000, it’s clear Redbox is starting to run out of locations where it hasn’t already placed at least one of its iconic boxes. Likely due to this approaching level of market saturation, Redbox has unveiled “Redbox Delivery”, an attempt to bring the Redbox experience to customers’ homes. The press release is after the jump.
Here’s the release put out by Coinstar/Redbox on Friday:
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. – Coinstar Inc., a leading provider of automated retail solutions and parent of popular movie rental provider Redbox, today announces Redbox Delivery, a new service that allows customers to enjoy the full Redbox experience from the convenience of their own homes and neighborhoods.
Redbox Delivery service consists of branded vans employing state-of-the-art GPS and automation technology. Redbox has partnered with leading French electronics firm Le Fou Fabrique to develop the proprietary automated technology that allows the vans to be remotely driven from Redbox’s Oakbrook Terrace offices.
Each Redbox Delivery van is equipped with four fully stocked Redbox automated retail kiosks. Customers will enjoy the same intuitive user interface and rental experience they are accustomed to with fixed-location Redbox kiosks. Redbox Delivery vans will patrol neighborhoods throughout select test markets from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Redbox customers can also request visits from Redbox Delivery vans to their homes through the new “Bring Redbox to Me!” feature on www.Redbox.com.
Redbox Delivery vans are also equipped to vend candy, microwave popcorn packets, and frozen confections to provide customers with a complete home movie experience.
“We always try to stay cognizant of our customers’ wants, and they’ve been telling us for years that they want the Redbox experience to be even more convenient than it already is ,” said Mitch Lowe, president, Redbox. “Our solution, with our new Redbox Delivery van service, is to bring the Redbox experience directly to our customers.”
Redbox Delivery is currently being tested in several markets across the country, including Tampa, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah; Henderson, Nevada; Houston, Texas; and Sacramento, California. Redbox Delivery will expand into ten additional U.S. metropolitan areas by the end of 2012.
The software in Redbox’s current network of nearly 40,000 kiosks is currently being upgraded to allow customers to locate the nearest Redbox Delivery van in their area in real time. Titles rented from Redbox Delivery vans will be conveniently returnable to Redbox kiosks, and vice-versa.
“With the introduction of Redbox Delivery, our enormous existing national kiosk footprint, and the upcoming launch of our co-branded streaming venture with Verizon this summer, Redbox is quickly becoming the most user-friendly and convenient movie rental service in history,” says Lowe. “Our customers enjoy an unprecedented amount of choice in their movie rental experience, having the option to visit a Redbox kiosk, have the kiosk come to them, or—in the near future—being able to select films from the comfort of their living room couches. Regardless of your preferred movie rental experience, Redbox has got you covered.”
For more info on this new feature, call the Redbox Automated Q&A hotline at 1-888-IM-A-FOOL
Do you live in one of the test markets listed in the release, Insiders? If so, are you excited about this new service from Redbox? How successful do you think these automated, mobile kiosks will be? Hit the comments and let us know what you think! Did you fall for our annual April Fools’ Day joke?
I love the redbox vans. Last night we had Tower Heist delivered, but I was a bit bummed that the van had run out of Dots candy. Ended up with chocolate covered raisins instead… Still a great movie night though.
But will they play “Greensleeves” as they cruise through the neighborhood?
Great idea, but I fear it may only be available on April 1. Too bad the remotely driven vans can’t be programmed to pick up a pizza en route to my house.
Can they pick me up a 6 pack of Guinness and a pizza from Dominos? I’ve got a coupon.
Awesome!!! Lol!
April Fool’s prank?
40,000 kiosks doesn’t even come close to saturating the country when you can find Subway, McDonald’s, or Starbucks in many places that Redbox has yet to make a presence, let alone a dent.
The van worked great! It cost the same amount as the number of movies they had in the van. Plus the free 3D glasses and theater seats they rented were fantastic. Can’t wait for the ghost van to roll around next April 1.
If this is Not A April Fool bit?????????????
Ha! ha! Best it is…..?
This would be cool. But people will mess it up some way..
But it would be cool… Way cool…..
I would be a little concerned about a driver-less van in my area. Can you imagine what a setup like this would cost (even with a human driver).
Good One…You Almost Had Me But The”French electronics firm” Le Fou Fabrique translates to The Fool Factory…Happy April Fools Day
Lemmy guess…April fools anyone, this is as bad as the GPS taco copters lol
Why not place “Redbox” inside large subdivisions at their clubhouses?
Wow. Sounds a bit ridiculous to me. SPOILED comes to mind! With a kiosk on every corner, how about people get out of the house and WALK to go and get their movie! Home delivery of movies and candy is just adding to the problem of unfit and unhealthy America.
lol – I bet you wish you read the rest of the replies or remembered what today was :)
Nah. Sadly, many ppl think the delivery van is a great idea.
You may live in a heavily populated area, but some of us are fortunate enough to live in the beautiful country and do not have a Redbox on every corner nor can we “walk” to go get a movie.
Don’t lump everyone into your narrow minded, hate obsessed way of thinking.
same here, I moved 14 miles from the nearest redbox 2 yrs ago and no longer use them, now use netflix delivery
More than 60% of ppl in America are overweight or obese. You’re cranky. Skip the movie and take a walk in that beautiful country of yours, and experience an endorphin release!
The service is free, and they will also pick up the movie for free. If you need a ride anywhere in town you can also get into the van a get a free ride. the van does well with traffice and bad weather situations, and most insurance companies are offering very low rates for these “humanless” cars. With gas approaching $5 a gallon, it’s also very cost effective.
I like the new carrier pigeon service much better except for the white stuff on some of the cases.
good one ! love April’s fools day
on the serious side though, i have sent 3 emails to redbox about putting a Redbox in my town. Dolores, Colorado.
we have 3 Redboxs in a nearby town 20 mile round trip , but in the winter it can be a hazardous trip just for a movie. there are pleanty of people here, mostly ranches who would love to have one closer to us
and aren’t you ever in the movie for a movie but don’t feel like getting out of your comfy clothes to run 20 mile trip?
This should work way better than Blockbuster’s “Instant Mortar Movie Delivery” plan.
Le Fou Fabrique, but isn’t it the kind of thing that some people would just love? Seriously, there are enough fools in the U.S. to make such a venture of home delivery a success. I think the candy part really adds to the appeal! How absolutely silly! How about a ‘get out and walk to the kiosk’ day???
Man am I pissed-off!
I just spent $15k to have a kiosk installed in my home theater. Had I waited I could have gotten free delivery; ;)
Nice one Shane best 4-1 post yet!
I don’t live in one of the areas that these vans are being tested in but it sounds like a really neat idea considering you have so many people out there that either can’t or don’t know how to drive and even people that don’t own a vehicle and walk or depend on someone else to get anywhere. So, who ever thought up this one, nice thought.
Are you being serious? It’s April Fool’s day and “Le Fou Fabrique” is french for The Fool Factory!
Is this real?
April Fools
Next step is an implanted chip for direct downloads to your brain. You can watch any movie instantly.
“Le Fou Fabrique” french for The Fool Factory. Happy April Fool’s day. Funny to see so many people believe what they read is TRUE.
you prolly believe a lot of things are true that you read, so don’t put down the rest of us
the one that came to my house had sweet and sourer pork ribs on stir fry noodles great i rented the Lorax only , but i hear Best Buy is going mobile also i hope they have Pizza and beer
They’re using Labrador Retrievers in my town. Occasionally dog saliva and tooth marks are on the DVDs. Labs are working out better than the Doberman’s they first tried.
this gotta be a joke!!!!
Come to Downtown Sacramento during business hours!!! Alot of foot traffic near the Capitol!!!! Can’t wait to see the van!!!
OMG, just what we need – more pollution just to see a movie that can streamed via Amazon or picked up/dropped off when we’re out shopping, going to work, etc. This is a terrible idea unless your car (SUV) uses more gas than their van. If you love the earth, well this just S-U-C-K-S
I am thinking April Fools… but kinda a cool idea!
How far will they go to deliver, what distances will the van travel? “APRIL FOOLS DAY JOKE”!!! :) Do you know if redbox will ever carry “Justice League: Doom, the next DC animated movie”??? “I really want to see it!!!”
Mitch Lowe resigned as president of Redbox in July 2011, so he would obviously not be quoted in a Redbox press release. Dumb joke.
Great April Fools joke!
LOL, remotely driven??? Great April Fools Day Joke! I wonder how many people have already started surfing redbox to see when it’s coming to their neighborhood? Ha-ha!! Too funny :)
I think you need to put a Redbox Kiosk in Lake Isabella, CA. There is a Blockbuster one there but it is always broken or out of the movies. There is a McDonalds there and I know you have Redbox’s in McDonalds:)
Can’t hardly wait to hijack a Van-Near-Me … disconnect the van battery and. presto!, free movies for at least 6 months with no late fees
April Fool’s Day! BAH!! It sounded like a great idea! ;o)
Interesting,
No doubt, DVD movies are here to stay, and since RedBox does not offer kiosks to just anyone, even with 40,000 locations, there are hundreds of thousands of areas not covered, and that is a huge void which is the target of Free-DVD-Biz.com which is movie rental business with a twist, you can actually earn your own kiosk equipment like RedBox and install them wherever it makes the most sense in your local community. I can’t see how a mobile kiosk will ever work out, but I can see the need for thousands more kiosks in small towns in America.
Remotely Driven—-I Challenge ANY Driven vehicle to make it thru West-Knoxville Stop-And-Go Traffic- Much less,a Remotely-Driven One !! Good one,happy April Fools !!!!!
April FOOL!
April FOOL!