Why nothing has killed this Frankston video store
The video store has been an endangered species for while now, with piracy and streaming services bringing the once-thriving industry to its knees. But here’s why one video store — believed to be one of Melbourne’s last — is bucking the trend.
South East
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The humble video store has been an endangered species for while now, with piracy and streaming services bringing the once-thriving industry to its knees.
But reel great deals and personal service are keeping customers hitting ‘rewind’ at Civic Video Frankston South.
The store — believed to be the last video store operating in the Frankston and Peninsula region following the closure of Rosebud’s Video Ezy — has been operating at its Frankston Flinders Rd site for 27 years.
TOP 10: CIVIC VIDEO FRANKSTON SOUTH’S MOST POPULAR MOVIES
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Deadpool
3. Frozen
4. Avengers
5. Moana
6. Good Will Hunting
7. X-Men
8. Justice League
9. The Amazing Spider Man
10. Jurassic Park (original)
And owner Andrea Hernan said although piracy and streaming services had hit the business hard its ‘closing credits’ were far from rolling.
Ms Hernan said a top location, movie rentals with deals from $1.50 and old-style service were a hit with loyal customers.
“So many people come here not only for their movies, but also a bit of a chat and their feedback is valued,” she said.
Veteran staffer Kylie Oxley, who has been at the store since it opened, said grandparents were now bringing children to the store.
“The word we hear most (from customers) is ‘experience’. It’s an experience.
“We had a boy about eight years old who said ‘wow, I love this place. What do you call it?’
“He had never been into a DVD shop before.”
At its peak, the business rented about 7000 titles per week with the figure now around 1700. It currently offers about 22,000 different titles, including all genres, as well as a selection of games.