Founder Of Redbox - The Story Of Gregg Kaplan
Many of us have seen those bright red vending machines sitting outside stores, offering movies for a quick rental. You might have even picked up a film or two from one, maybe for a family night or just to catch a new release. It's interesting, really, to think about where such a widespread idea came from, isn't it? The thought behind those ubiquitous red boxes, and the person who dreamed them up, often goes unconsidered.
This particular system of getting films into people's hands, that's Redbox, completely changed how folks rented movies for a good while. It was a simple, easy way to grab a DVD right in your neighborhood, making the whole process of watching a new film at home much less of a chore. So, it made a big mark on how we got our entertainment, you know?
Well, the person at the heart of this big shift, the one who first imagined those bright red kiosks and what they could do, is a fellow named Gregg Kaplan. He’s the original founder of Redbox, and his story is actually quite something. It shows how a simple idea, given enough thought and effort, can truly take off and become a household name, more or less.
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Table of Contents
- Gregg Kaplan - The Person Behind the Kiosk
- Personal Details and Bio Data
- How Did the Founder of Redbox Get Started?
- The Early Days - A McDonald's Connection
- What Was Redbox's Big Idea?
- Coinstar Joins the Redbox Story
- How Did the Founder of Redbox Change the Game?
- A New Chapter for the Founder of Redbox
- What Happened After the Founder of Redbox Left?
Gregg Kaplan - The Person Behind the Kiosk
Gregg Kaplan is a business person from America, someone who has held important positions at different companies. He is, of course, the person who started Redbox, the place where you could rent movies from those distinctive red machines. He also served as the main leader, the chief executive officer, for Redbox for a time. It’s pretty interesting to think about how one person’s vision can lead to something so widely recognized, you know?
Before his time with Redbox, Gregg was also involved with another company called Coinstar, where he held the titles of president and chief operating officer. And, as a matter of fact, he even founded his own company called Modjule LLC. So, he’s been quite active in the business world, shaping things in different ways, really.
People often credit Gregg Kaplan with helping to bring about the end of the traditional video rental business, like Blockbuster, because of how Redbox made it so simple and inexpensive to get a new movie. He truly did shake things up for how people got their films to watch at home. It’s almost like he saw a gap and filled it, in a way, with something everyone could use.
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Personal Details and Bio Data
| Name | Gregg Kaplan |
| Known For | Founder of Redbox, Founder of Modjule LLC, Former President and COO of Coinstar |
| Key Achievement | Revolutionized movie rental with automated DVD kiosks |
How Did the Founder of Redbox Get Started?
The story of Redbox, and how its founder, Gregg Kaplan, got it going, began in the year 2002. This was a time when DVDs were becoming very popular, more and more people were buying them and wanting to watch movies at home. Gregg saw this growing interest in films you could easily play on your own television. He had an idea to make getting those movies even simpler for folks, you know?
Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, which is what the company was officially called, started out as a part of a bigger plan by McDonald’s to try out some new business ideas. So, it wasn't just a random start-up; it had some pretty big backing from the beginning. The main office for this new company was located in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, which is a place west of Chicago. That's where the initial thinking and planning happened, sort of behind the scenes, really.
The whole point of Redbox, from the very beginning, was to make renting movies easy and not too expensive. The kiosks, those red machines, were put in places where lots of people already went, like right outside stores. This made it super convenient for anyone to just pick up a movie while they were out doing other things. It was, in some respects, a very clever way to meet a common need, don't you think?
The Early Days - A McDonald's Connection
As we heard, the initial idea for Redbox, from its founder Gregg Kaplan, came about as a part of McDonald's trying out different business ventures. The thought was to use McDonald's really wide reach, all those locations they have everywhere, to help get this new movie rental idea off the ground. It was a way to sort of test the waters, you might say, for something new and different, more or less.
The company, Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, was set up as an American company focused on renting out videos and, later on, streaming media. Their main operations were based in Illinois, just outside Chicago. So, the roots of this well-known service were actually quite grounded in a very large, established business environment, which is kind of interesting.
This connection to McDonald's was quite important in the very early days. It gave the concept a chance to be seen by many people right away, something that would have been much harder for a brand-new company starting from scratch. It shows how, sometimes, a new idea can really benefit from being linked with something already familiar to everyone, don't you think?
What Was Redbox's Big Idea?
What was it that made Redbox, and its founder Gregg Kaplan's vision, so compelling? Well, the core idea was pretty straightforward, actually. It was about offering a super easy and cheap way to rent movies, specifically new release DVDs. Instead of going to a big video store, you could just walk up to a red machine, right there in your neighborhood, and pick out a film. It was meant to be quick, simple, and very accessible, you know?
The company really took advantage of how popular DVDs were getting back then. People loved having movies to watch at home, and Redbox made it so you didn't have to plan a special trip to a video store. The kiosks started showing up everywhere, in front of grocery stores, pharmacies, and, of course, McDonald's locations. This made it incredibly convenient for people to just grab a movie whenever the mood struck them, or when they were already out running errands, so.
This approach was a pretty big departure from the way things had been done for a long time. It cut out a lot of the fuss and made movie rentals a spur-of-the-moment thing. The founder of Redbox, Gregg Kaplan, really understood that people wanted things to be simpler and more immediate. It was, in a way, a fresh take on an old activity, and it caught on like wildfire, pretty much.
Coinstar Joins the Redbox Story
Things really started to pick up for Redbox when another company, Coinstar, got involved. In November of 2005, Coinstar, Inc. announced that they had made a deal with McDonald’s Ventures, LLC, to put some money into Redbox. This agreement meant that Coinstar would get a big piece of the company, specifically a 47.3 percent share. This was a pretty significant moment for the future of Redbox, you know?
Coinstar, which was known for its coin-counting machines, saw something promising in what the founder of Redbox, Gregg Kaplan, was building. They sensed that this new movie rental concept had a lot of potential to grow. It was, in some respects, a smart move for them, seeing as how popular the kiosks would become. They clearly recognized a rising star in the business world, so.
With Coinstar's investment, Redbox could really start to spread out. Over the next four years, after Coinstar came on board, they worked quickly to put Redbox machines all over the country. This rapid expansion meant that those familiar red kiosks became a common sight for many, many people. It really helped take the idea from a good concept to a widespread service, more or less.
How Did the Founder of Redbox Change the Game?
Gregg Kaplan, the founder of Redbox, truly changed how people rented movies. Before Redbox, if you wanted to rent a new film, you usually had to go to a video store, like Blockbuster. These places had rows and rows of movies, but they also had late fees, and you had to make a special trip. Redbox offered something completely different, you know?
The red kiosks made it incredibly easy. You could just stop by one on your way home from work or while doing your grocery shopping. The price was low, and there was no need to worry about being late with your return, because you could just drop it off at any Redbox machine. This convenience and affordability really appealed to people, and it started to chip away at the old way of doing things, actually.
Over about 11 years, while Gregg Kaplan was at the helm, Redbox grew from just an idea into a massive business, bringing in nearly $2 billion in money. That’s a huge amount of growth for any company, especially one that started from scratch. He really did create something that resonated with a lot of people and shifted an entire industry, in a way, which is pretty impressive, you know?
A New Chapter for the Founder of Redbox
After many years of leading Redbox and seeing it grow into a major force in movie rentals, Gregg Kaplan, the founder, decided it was time for a change. In August of 2012, he stepped down from his roles as president and chief operating officer of Redbox. This marked a significant moment for the company, as the person who had started it all was moving on to new things. It was, in some respects, the end of an era for the business, you might say.
When Gregg Kaplan left, Anne Saunders took over as president of Redbox. So, the leadership of the company transitioned to someone new. This kind of change is pretty common in the life of a business, especially one that has grown so much. The foundation laid by the founder of Redbox, Gregg Kaplan, allowed the company to keep going strong even after his departure, more or less.
Gregg Kaplan went on to focus on other ventures, including his own company, Modjule LLC. His time at Redbox left a lasting mark on the entertainment world, showing how a simple, convenient idea can really shake things up. It’s a good example of how a person’s vision can create something truly impactful, you know?
What Happened After the Founder of Redbox Left?
After the founder of Redbox, Gregg Kaplan, left his leadership positions in August 2012, the company continued its operations with new leadership. Anne Saunders stepped into the role of president, taking the reins from Kaplan. This period saw Redbox continue to be a major player in the automated retail space for movie rentals, you know?
Throughout the years that followed, Redbox kept those familiar red kiosks going strong, offering films and, later, even video games for rent. The company, which was commonly known just as Redbox, kept its focus on providing easy access to entertainment. It's interesting how a company can keep its identity and service even after its original leader moves on, more or less.
The parent company that owned Redbox continued to manage its operations. The timeline of Redbox’s history shows many key moments and events even after Gregg Kaplan’s departure, demonstrating the enduring legacy of the system he put in place. It really speaks to the strength of the original idea, doesn't it?
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