COVID hits Video Ezy with last two kiosks to close in Logan

It will be the end of an era for movie lovers in this part of southeast Queensland, with plans to close the city’s last two Blockbuster and Video Ezy kiosks.

The Blockbuster Video store at Marsden in Logan closed in late 2017; Mic Noble with his daughters Maddison and Caitlin Rachelle; and the store as many would remember.

It will be the end of an era for Logan movie lovers with plans to close the city’s last two Blockbuster and Video Ezy video kiosks by March.

Blockbuster franchise owner Jon Harris, who opened his first Blockbuster Video store at Marsden 20 years ago, will shut his Video Ezy kiosks at Marsden Park Shopping Centre and at Crestmead IGA in the next two months.

He shut his last Blockbuster video store in Logan in late 2017 but still retained ownership of 62 kiosks, which hire out videos from shopping centres.

Only a handful of video stores remain open in Queensland including Network Video at Ipswich, Pittsworth, Birkdale and Chinchilla after the closure of Civic Video stores at Gladstone and Discovery Coast Video at Agnes Waters.

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Mr Harris’ kiosks were strategically placed across Logan in suburbs including Jimboomba, Yarrabilba and Logan Village.

The kiosk side of the business took off in 2012 as many customers wanted to hire DVDs without having to pay for Netflix or Stan.

With the closure of all the Blockbuster stores around Australia in March 2019, Mr Harris became part of the more enterprising Video Ezy chain and kiosk outlets.

The final day of the Marsden store.

But the lack of Hollywood blockbuster movies produced and released during COVID and 2020 was the final nail in the video kiosk coffin with only 32 operating at the end of last year and all set to close.

Long-time staff member and the last Video Ezy manager in Logan Mic Noble, who started work at the Marsden store 15 years ago, said the business was a family affair which attracted many loyal customers over the years.

He said his son Zac and daughters Caitlin Rachelle and Maddison worked at the store over the years, along with Mr Harris’s children Kat and Tom.

Jon Harris with his two children at the Marsden store before it closed in 2017.

Blockbuster Video in Logan before it shut.

“Sadly, COVID-19 has affected this industry more than Netflix, Stan or even pirating could do because new movies were not being produced last year, and haven’t been for almost 12 months,” Mr Noble said.

“Netflix never worried Blockbuster and later Video Ezy because we got all the new releases two weeks before everyone else so it worked well.

“When COVID started there were not that many blockbusters coming out of Hollywood on a weekly basis so many people turned to Netflix, Stan, Prime and now Binge.

“It’s a sad time and will seriously affect the older clients who can’t upload and download videos on their televisions.

Logan’s last two video kiosks will close.

“The older generations really used this service because videos were part of their lives for 30 years so I expect they will struggle with today’s technology.

“Many have told me that they preferred to be able to hire DVDs and say they miss the video store experience and going and browsing for a video on a Friday night.

“Video stores had their own unique way of serving people which will never be replaced.”