| Video stores’ unexpected comeback |
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| Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios |
| Video stores were written off as casualties of the steaming era — but they’re staging a comeback, Axios Local reporters tell us from cities around America. Why it matters: New rental shops are opening around the country as people rediscover the fun of browsing the shelves for movie night. Plus, as streaming prices rise, digital licenses lapse and online archives disappear, many cinephiles are returning to physical media for guaranteed access to both new and beloved films. Blockbuster’s days are over. Just one independently owned store remains, in Bend, Ore. But a new generation of video stores is picking up where it left off.In the Twin Cities, nonprofit Saturn Video will open next month, stocked with hard-to-find DVDs, Blu-Rays and VHS tapes, Axios Twin Cities’ Audrey Kennedy reports. In Richmond, Va., Blue Rose Video & More opened earlier this month, selling DVDs, Blu-rays and 4Ks, and offering DVD rentals. It’s at least the third new video store to open in the Richmond area this year, Axios Richmond’s Karri Peifer reports. In Philadelphia, Little Movie Store — set to open next month — has a 20,000-title collection for the city’s physical media fans to peruse, Philly Voice reports. In Sacramento, Very Good Video is opening this fall to serve as a rental store and a community gathering spot, hosting screenings, trivia and more, reports The Sacramento Bee. The intrigue: Some of the biggest fans of the video store revival are young people.Video stores hit a sweet spot for Gen Zers, many of whom are just old enough to remember wandering the aisles and picking out a DVD as kids, notes the LA Times. The bottom line: The nostalgia economy is booming, and video stores are the latest comeback story. Find your Axios Local city. |
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Blockbuster’s days are over. Just one independently owned store remains, in Bend, Ore. But a new generation of video stores is picking up where it left off.
The intrigue: Some of the biggest fans of the video store revival are young people.