Photo by Travis Pratt A motorcyclist returns a movie through a deposit slot at Blockbuster video in Thurmont.

The Dallas-based video giant, with about 3,800 company-owned outlets nationwide, may close as many as 960 stores by the end of next year, according to a report filed with the Security Exchange Commission in September.

The Thurmont store will be the only Blockbuster to remain open in Frederick and Washington counties.

The closings are part of the struggling video rental chain's efforts to reverse losses and fend off rapidly growing rivals Netflix Inc. and Redbox, according to media reports.

Thurmont store employees directed questions to corporate headquarters. The company's representatives couldn't be reached by deadline.

"That's good news that (the local Blockbuster) will remain open," Thurmont resident Amanda Miller said. "I rent from them a lot. I prefer Blockbuster over Netflix because I can go in and actually look and see the collection."

Jaime Keller owns Curves exercise business located next door to Blockbuster.

"Absolutely, it's a good thing they will stay open," Keller said. "I think that wherever Blockbuster is, they bring business to other businesses because they are frequented all the time."

"Their prices are cheaper than the corporate-owned stores, but they still charge late fees," Miller said.

Curves and Blockbuster work together to help each other out, Keller said. "I had a Blockbuster ad on my website," Miller said.

Before Blockbuster opened in Thurmont , Edward Joe Phillips said he used to travel to Frederick to rent movies.

"I saw the ad and it feels great to have Blockbuster close to home," Phillips said.

Thurmont resident Robin Nichols isn't worried what happens to Blockbuster, she said.

"I do Netflix, so I don't care," Nichols said. "Some of my friends have Netflix, others don't, but everybody is going over to Netflix."

But Blockbuster Chief Executive James Keyes said in a recent interview the company is considering setting up more DVD-rental kiosks in the stores of other merchants to curb overhead expenses.

By the middle of next year, Blockbuster hopes to have 10,000 kiosks scattered around the country. It had just 500 kiosks at the end of August, according to media reports.

As of mid-August, Blockbuster had closed 276 stores so far this year.

Besides closing stores, Blockbuster indicated that it will convert at least 250 stores into smaller outlets.