Netflix to Launch Brick-and- Mortar Physical Stores in 2025

By Gerald Trent

Netflix has announced its plans to venture into brick-and-mortar retail by opening its first two “Netflix House” stores in the United States in 2025. Unlike traditional video rental stores, these Netflix House locations will offer customers an array of immersive experiences centered around Netflix’s popular shows, themed restaurants, merchandise shopping, live entertainment, and much more.

Netflix’s Vice President of Consumer Products, Josh Simon, explained the motivation behind this move, stating that they’ve observed the immense enthusiasm of fans for immersing themselves in the worlds of Netflix’s movies and TV shows. The streaming giant aims to elevate this experience further through its Netflix House stores.

While this will be Netflix’s first attempt at establishing permanent physical locations, the company has previously ventured into the world of retail through its online merchandise store and various pop-up shops and experiences in select cities. For instance, Netflix has experimented with themed dining experiences like “Netflix Bites” in Los Angeles, featuring dishes created by celebrity chefs from Netflix shows. Additionally, it launched “Squid Game: The Trials,” an immersive experience based on the popular show, where participants engage in interactive games. Netflix also hosts “The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience,” allowing visitors to attend Regency-era balls with violin covers of pop hits. Theater lovers can look forward to a “Stranger Things” stage show prequel scheduled to debut in London in November.

Netflix’s latest endeavor could be seen as an effort to emulate Disney’s successful strategy of extending its shows, storylines, and characters into the physical world. However, opinions on the potential success of Netflix House are divided. While some are skeptical about Netflix’s ability to compete with Disney’s well-established theme park ventures, others believe that Netflix, as a major tastemaker in the industry, has a good chance of thriving with this venture.

While many specifics about the opening dates and locations of Netflix House stores are yet to be determined, this move follows an eventful summer for Netflix. The company implemented measures to counteract password sharing, adjusted its subscription plans, gained millions of new subscribers, but still missed quarterly revenue expectations. Furthermore, it recently discontinued its DVD rental service, and it remains uncertain whether physical media will be part of the inventory in the new Netflix House locations.