Eureka! I'll Open A DVD Rental Store

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The DVD rental store in my modest home town has just closed after 20 years and so there's nowhere else nearby to rent DVDs.

By an amazing coincidence, a brand new (modest) retail unit is also available to rent at £5000 pa in a great central location.

I'm seriously considering opening it as a modern DVD rental shop - and trying to lose the 'chavs only' appeal of the old place. Do you think it could work?

― Video Joe, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:54 (twenty years ago)

Why did the old store close down? If it had been a lucrative business, it'd still be going strong ....

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:57 (twenty years ago)

well, it was just a regular DVD rental store. Video Joe is going to open a MODERN one.

― g-kit (g-kit), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)

It closed for personal, as opposed to business reasons - so I'm not worried by that. It always seemed to do good business, but by becoming a bit of a dive, half of the town wouldn't go near it.

I'd undercut the chains (not difficult). How does £2 for 2 nights sound?

People still rent DVDs don't they? ScreenSelect are great, but I still want to choose specific titles on specific days.

And g-kit, by modern I just mean clean, well-lit and with film soundtracks playing - as opposed to dark, plasticy and kebabs on the floor...

― Video Joe, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

oh, i thought you meant like Star Trek doors and shit.

― g-kit (g-kit), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

This sounds like the start of the plot to a Cliff Richard film from the 60s.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 09:09 (twenty years ago)

But what about the new internet rental sites? Isn't the trad store format dead?

― Mic P, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

It's all about service and marketing.

You could offer a deal where if you rent a new release, you can get an old release for free (or 50p). Then, in order for them to watch both, they'll probably return them both late, and you can charge them a late fee.

― Draw Tipsy, ya hack. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

I have netflix, but still rent movies at the place down the street because it's supercheap - $2.50 per dvd or $4 for 4 VHS tapes - and the guys that work there have great taste in movies. They also give you little cards each time you check out movies which you can save up to get a free rental, which we actually do quite a bit.

― Kittens Licking Cakes (coco), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:13 (twenty years ago)

ALSO, it's cool because they play good music in there. And you definitely have to have a recommendations box... My favorite video store back in Virginia had a popcorn machine. You got a free little box of popcorn with your movie.

― Kittens Licking Cakes (coco), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:14 (twenty years ago)

Can you rent out DVDs purchased anywhere (presumably a wholesaler, of course), or are there specially licensed DVDs you have to purchase for a rental storefront?

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

I have Netflix, but I tend to rent TV series box sets at the B&M store down the street so I can do a marathon of that show without having to stop the flow of films.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

i think it could work. it would take ambition though

― matlewis (matlewis), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:04 (twenty years ago)

also with a store you can get a movie NOW on a whim instead of waiting for it to be mailed.

also you can sell overpriced snacks.

― already disheveled hair projection (wetmink), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

with Blockbuster, now instead of late fees, if you keep the movie over a week you automatically BUY the movie and they charge your credit card. but you can still return it and they cancel the purchase, but charge you a "restocking" fee (late fee). but, it solves the problem of people skipping town and stealing your stuff.

― already disheveled hair projection (wetmink), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

I think if I were setting a DVD store up in my home town, I'd consider offering deliveries or phone reservations - especially if I could make the catalogue available online - for members only, small membership fee, within set hours.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

That's a good idea.

Another yay for a video store, as opposed to netflix and the like, is that sometimes you're just not in the mood for whatever was next in your queue.

― Kittens Licking Cakes (coco), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

i don't think online rentals will ever take over. maybe for the sort of people who use ILX but not for joes public. sounds like a good business opportunity to me, VJ.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

it would be good if you could get an idea of a video stores business plan/cash flow situation. like, how do they actually make money? rentals, fines, or sweets/haagen daaz? when you know what underpins the rental game then you might have a better idea of whether to carry on in the same vein or to try and innovate.

the only other thing i would say is that you should be careful not to make the assumption "my tastes = the pbulics"; i know that is a stupid thing to say but what i mean is, if you are sitting in the position of being like "oh god, i always wanted a video store that sells the wire! i think all video stores should seel mixed mezze! finally i can bring the public these innovations that theyve been waiting for".
i mean, half of your ideas will drive new demand, fulfil customers demands, but maybe the other half will just be your fulfilling your own wishes. be prepared to do things that you might not want your video store to do - stock films you dont like, maybe have the decor not quite as you would want it.
but i want to emphasise that that is only a warning, it shouldnt put you off coming in with your ideas,i only say all of that cos thats the sort of thing i would be really bad at. i would want everything to be "just so", my fantasy video store, that would perfectly fit the target demographic of.....me. and 1 customer aint enough

of course, you could open your fantasy video store, and sort of elegantly scrape by like in a film. that woukld be cool too

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

Thanks all - I'm very tempted to take this further. Just need to do some more research on sourcing the DVDs. I'm assuming that it works in the same sort of way that you order CDs for a record shop.

― Video Joe, Thursday, 18 August 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

wow, what a bad time to open this kind of business. Every single video shop that isn't Blockbuster has closed in the 20-mile radius around me. There is a reason for this--I don't see myself ever renting a movie in person again, netflix for life!

― richardk (Richard K), Thursday, 18 August 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

I'm assuming that it works in the same sort of way that you order CDs for a record shop.

True for DVDs you sell, but not for the ones you rent. Those you buy outright just like any other consumer (tho maybe you can get a bulk discount). Also consider buying used DVDs from the public and selling/renting those (pay 1/2 list, sell for 3/4 list or something). That's one area Blockbuster won't compete in. There's a store around that does this exclusively (it sells CDs also) and seems to do OK.

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 18 August 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Also consider buying used DVDs from the public and selling/renting those

I'm pretty sure it would be illegal to rent those out to people.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 18 August 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

Pennylane does this (that's the store I ref'ed above). Why would this be illegal versus renting purchased-new copies?

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 18 August 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

Also consider buying used DVDs from the public and selling/renting those (pay 1/2 list, sell for 3/4 list or something). That's one area Blockbuster won't compete in.

Blockbuster's already moving into this market. They buy/sell in every US store, and recently purchased a chain that rented and sold all of its stock (Movie Trading Co.) and bought most of its used stock from walk-ins.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 18 August 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

I'm pretty sure it would be illegal to rent those out to people.

Why on earth would that be illegal? Either way, you're renting out your property.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 18 August 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

Don't go the TLA-route of keeping the DVDs behind the counter and then putting the boxes in a million confusing sections so nobody has any idea what you carry/what's in. Or if you do, don't act so put out when customers have to run through a long pre-made list of what they want at check out.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Thursday, 18 August 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

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