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Blockbuster to close 3 Hawaii stores on April 10

Blockbuster Inc. is closing three Hawaii stores on April 10.

The home video chain, which put itself up for sale after a failed attempt to reorganize in bankruptcy, will close a Salt Lake store at  848 Ala Lilikoi St., a Waianae location at 86-120 Farrington Hwy., and a Big Island store at 74-5586 Palani Road in Kailua-Kona. 

The locations employ more than 20 workers, according to store managers.

Blockbuster, which closed its Mililani store at 95-221 Kipapa Drive this month, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, after mounting losses due to increased competition.

The company, established in 1985 by a Dallas software entrepreneur, has lost market share in recent years as consumers gravitated more toward services such as Netflix and Redbox.

Blockbuster has shut down more than 1,000 money-losing stores nationwide in the past two years.

Company representatives didn’t return calls for comment. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York approved the auction of the company on March 11.

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