It’s easier to discover a title digging through shelves or bins.
Netflix’s organization of titles is lousy and their listing of “new releases” does not list half of what they are adding to their catalog.
So if you know what you want to rent, it works ok but if you want to see something you’d be interested in and haven’t seen advertised, you have to wander around awhile and maybe you’ll find something.
But Netflix has broader inventory of titles than most brick and mortar stores.
I know of videotape rental stores (still in business) with decades of titles (most now out of print). Oddly, they never went into DVD rental. The explosion of releases on DVD means it is unlikely to find everything stocked anywhere and there are titles that go out of print (and then seem to “get lost” at Netflix).
Ultimately I like a big inventory to choose from. But looking at physical shelves gives you an easier chance to discover releases than an incomplete category listing online.
BTW, if you're in the market for an excellent documentary (one of three in the world that is not liberal) rent "King of Kong."
It's about a couple of guys battling for the world record in Donkey Kong, which you would think would be incredibly boring, but it's not. I only watched it because it was one of the few rated better than 4.5 stars. I can see why now - it's absolutely fascinating and hysterically funny at times.
There is a whole very weird world out there where competitive gaming is bloodthirsty and ugly.