One of Britain's last-known video rental stores going strong thanks to retro lure
BUSINESS is still going strong at one of Britain’s last-known video rental stores — ten years after Blockbuster shut.
Families still come in and browse the shelves for a movie despite the rise of streaming.
T.V.L. Allstar Video opened in 1984 with VHS hits including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins.
Today, it boasts 8,500 DVDs that customers can take out for a week — with the current favourite being The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Owner Colin Richards, 70, says local families in Haverhill, Suffolk, want to share the retro movie browsing experience with their kids.
He said: “A lot of our older customers are bringing their children and grandchildren to give them the experience they used to have on a Friday night.
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“It’s very infectious because the children won’t even be able to walk past the shop without wanting to come in.
“Normally, they try and rent the same film, their favourite, every time.
“Obviously people have streaming services at home, but the difference is when you come in and pick the movie, you make an effort to sit down and watch it.”
In 1984, a film cost £1.75 a night to rent while now it is £3.25 a week for a new release or £2 for any other.
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Grandfather-of-four Colin says his most successful rental is 1994’s Forrest Gump, followed by Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo: First Blood from 1982.
The rise of Netflix and other streaming services gradually killed off the movie rental business, including Blockbuster which closed by the end of 2013.
Colin’s store has also diversified into DVD repairs, photocopying and printing.
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