Netflix to open retail, dining locations in addition to NJ studio

Netflix was already a big deal in The Garden State ever since they announced their plans to build studios on the former Fort Monmouth location in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

But now we have even more to get excited about. Netflix has recently announced plans to venture into the brick-and-mortar business with physical locations you can visit and shop at.

This comes shortly after the streaming giant announced it would be ending its DVD mail-order service. DVDs in general have been losing popularity over the past several years.

Best Buy also announced recently that they would no longer be selling DVDs come the end of 2023. And streaming services, such as Netflix, are a huge reason for that shift.

Streaming also helped aid the closure of video stores throughout the country, with barely any surviving today. So it might seem unusual that Netflix plans to open physical locations slated for 2025.

The instant thought that might come to mind is some sort of video service location. But that wouldn't make much sense since it would essentially be like going back in time to the days of physical video rentals.

Even though it may seem strange for a brick-and-mortar store, Netflix has already tried this with success. And that concept is what they're looking to bring across the country in the near future.

The pop-up store, called Netflix Bites, is located in Hollywood and features a combination of services from food to merchandise. And as you might've guessed, the theme is based on programming you'd typically find on Netflix.

For example, say you stop in for a bite to eat. Just think of the many programs available on Netflix that are related to food.

Those featured items are the kind of thing you'd find at a Netflix retail location, with menus put together in part by the very chefs that are featured on the programs.

The same can also be said for apparel. Imagine having swag based on popular shows like "Stranger Things."

The exact locations across the country of all planned brick-and-mortar locations are yet to be announced. Which gets us wondering, will New Jersey see such a place?

Netflix already plans to occupy a large portion of the former Fort Monmouth location for brand-new filming studios. That alone is huge for New Jersey's economy.

So it would only make sense that we'd see such a retail location here in The Garden State as well. Although that hasn't been confirmed, it's only logical to have one near its studios.

Time will tell if that ultimately happens. Stores are slated for 2025, and you can read more about the future of physical Netflix retail locations here.

What about the New Jersey studios?

As for the brand-new studios at Fort Monmouth, that might take longer than expected. In fact, possibly quite a bit longer.

That delay has to do with transforming the site so that the studios can be properly built. Progress is being made, however, and Netflix still has an interest in transforming the site into a state-of-the-art facility.

The delay might cause construction to take up to 10 years to complete, which is unfortunate. But a delay is better than nothing happening at all (more on the latest regarding the Fort Monmouth studios here).

Hopefully, we'll get lucky and still get one of their physical locations right around the area of their future studios located in Monmouth County.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.