COMING ATTRACTION: Countdown to new video store opening
New video store: all sytems go
Gympie
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UPDATE Friday:
THE countdown to the opening of Gympie's new video store Network Video is down to single figures.
With the 20 000 video library arriving tonight from Sydney, manager David Kendall said 'it's all systems go' for the new store to open its doors next week.
Before the business officially opens on Thursday, would-be-customers have the chance to get in early to sign up as a new member before the real borrowing fun begins.
The store will be open tomorrow between 9am and 3pm to activate a new membership with Network Video.
Proof of age and address will be required.
But you won't be walking away with a new shiny card, rather a PIN number. Mr Kendall said the new cardless borrowing system is a way of keeping transactions more secure.
Other than that though he said the store will remain relatively the same as before, including the customer-friendly prices.
What: Network Video new member sign-on day
When: Saturday, march 4, 9am-3pm.
Where: 32 Duke St, Gympie
What to bring:
- 18 years or over with proof of age (licence or 18+ card)
- Proof of current address (if not a licence a document with name and address).
EXCLUSIVE:
GET the popcorn ready and pick your lips up off the floor Gympie movie-lovers because your favourite video rental staff have exciting news for you.
Gympie's last-remaining movie store in Duke St will not be closing. Well technically Blockbuster Gympie will be, but only for a matter of days before it re emerges as Network Video in the same place with the same staff and the same prices.
The man behind the happy news is Kin Kin investor Peter Fife, who owned the Blockbuster store before he sold it to the current owners in 2005 and was gutted when he learnt the much-loved store was closing due to an owner dispute.
He will be partnering with the current owner of the building.
"I felt for the staff when I heard and I felt for the regional area of Gympie," he told The Gympie Times when he was in store to confirm the news, which had been in the pipeline for two weeks.
"I realise a lot of people love this store."
"Where else can they go?"
WATCH: Gympie bids a fond farewell to Blockbuster
Mr Fife can attest to Gympie's long love affair with movie rentals, having owned the largest video store in Gympie in the late 1980s; Gympie Video Movie Barn on the Bruce Hwy -making up one of the town's eight stores.
"It's been part of me for a long-time," he said.
But he said this story was not about him, it was about giving the community back their favourite place to rent movies and one of the happiest incidentals of that is keeping the current staff employed., three of whom he worked with "back in the days when I had hair and TVs had legs."
Manager David Kendall, was overjoyed, despite the roller coaster of the past few weeks taking their toll.
RECENT: Another kick in the guts for Blockbuster
"It went from being like Disneyland to becoming something very sad," he said of the news Blockbuster was closing.
"(But this news) is one of the few reasons we've had to smile in the past few weeks."
The relief that routine will be restored to the loyal customers who make visiting their store part of their social calendar and weekly entertainment.
The new Network Video owner has ordered a brand new 17,000 movie library from Sydney, which will be boosted with the remaining Blockbuster stock which will continue to be on sale for another week.
Network Video is expected to open on Monday March 6, with Blockbuster officially shutting on Tuesday.
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