Netflix is taking yet another odd route in an attempt to gain new revenue sources. The streaming service recently removed its cheapest ad-free tier to push users towards an ad-supported tier or a more expensive ad-free plan. And, of course, you cannot share your login information with the masses anymore. There’s also its online shop that sells items tied to properties like Stranger Things and the occasional pop-up store. Now, Netflix will stake a more permanent claim in the brick-and-mortar world with several retail destinations in 2025. As Bloomberg reports, the new retail stores will be known as Netflix House.
They will offer food items, merchandise, and experiences tied to Netflix’s shows and films. Many of the details are still in the air at this moment. We don’t know which cities will have a Netflix House. But we can assume Los Angeles, New York City, and maybe another city like Atlanta will be on the list. Right now, it seems Netflix will open stores in the US and, if they are successful, expand locations to other countries.
It is quite the choice to make considering that retail stores are typically more expensive to maintain versus online-only/pop-up options. In our 2023 world, many retailers are minimizing or altogether closing their physical locations to further shift their focus online. The days of the mall rat are pretty much a thing of the past, sadly. But Josh Simon, Netflix’s VP of consumer products, is very confident in this new move.
He tells Bloomberg, “We’ve seen how much fans love to immerse themselves in the world of our movies and TV shows, and we’ve been thinking a lot about how we take that to the next level.”
A Netflix retail store isn’t something that we saw coming but we are curious about how it will all shake out.