Starting your own video store.

[FrostyBoy]

I know this guy in New Zealand, he wants to start his own video rental store, I advised he also do games.

Anyway, he's kinda just started out researching what needs to be done; and i'm just wondering if any of you might know any information as to how much it will cost to start a video store up, get the movies, games, how much it might all cost, etc

[Asher]

Renting physical media? Not likely much future for that...

Blockbuster et. all have declining revenues.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

get lots of porn, youll always be in business.

[FrostyBoy]

There is a future for it, because not everyone uses the internet.

Hell, the Newspaper is still around.

[Asher]

Newspaper subscriptions are declining, and are extremely low in the 20-something crowd. Once the older folks start dying, it'll very much be a niche thing.

Same kind of thing with video stores...with things like Netflix in the US and Zip.ca in Canada, stores like Blockbuster are hurting.

Looking a bit farther down the road, and I've found myself using Video on Demand instead. I just hit the VOD button on my remote, browse the movies and view synopses, trailers, etc. Then when I find one I like, I hit Order and it starts playing...can watch it/rewatch it/rewind/ffd it etc for 24 hours. The added advantage is you can watch movies in HDTV like this, and have for a year or so now, well before the HD-DVD/Bluray discs are out and sans the $1,000 players.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
get lots of porn, youll always be in business.

QFT. Seriously. That's the way many smaller video stores stay in business - Blockbuster et al don't carry the stuff generally, so the niche is there.

Other than that - just have a great selection and know your neighborhood. Get a website that allows web-reservations. That'll attract the Netflix types who happen to want to pick something up right then instead of wating a few days.

Oh, and if you can figure a way to get the major companies to allow you to print-on-demand, do it that way Web reserve a movie, pick it up in an hour or however long burning a DVD takes ... guaranteed availability ...

[Ecthy]

t00 many sno0piyz

[Ecthy]

There can be only one snoopy. The two of you must meet in our arena and fight the final battle.

And this is not civ or something. It's a real battle, with scratching and biting the only weapons.

[snoopy369]

I am the true snoopy

He is the true sn00py ... the double-0 agent version, who is licensed to kill I have no intention of going against that ...

[Dinner]

Video stores have been in a death spiral for years now. Each year has worse sales industry wide then the last.

More and more people are just downloading off of the net (legally or illegally), watching video on demand, or getting ultra cheap online rentals from places like netflicks. I'd advise your friend to find a different line of work to invest in.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
get lots of porn, youll always be in business.

The internet is for porn plus the pervs don't have to deal with the embarasement of people wondering why they're renting "bisexual black cowboys from Soviet Goergia".

[Seeker]

That said, I think there is a small niche market for obscure artsy type stuff that is difficult to find and basically profit from people like me who get frustrated taking months to download 'Ballet Mechanique' from e-mule.

Be local. Serve obscure niches and cult interests. Offer the convenience of fast aquisition of obscure ****. It can still work...

..but yes the days of 'Blockbuster' et al may be dying...which is a shame. Except for termnal loners, "Going Out to Rent a Movie" is one of those social activities where you can meet other humans and talk to them in a non-embarrasing, non- 'I'm just trying to hook-up with girls' kind of way. Which is why I think there will be a small niche for local places if they can stay sufficiently funky and wierd.

[alva]

Originally posted by Oerdin
"bisexual black cowboys from Soviet Goergia".

Any good?

[Dinner]

[Nostromo]

I know this guy in New Zealand, he wants to start his own video rental store, I advised he also do games.

Anyway, he's kinda just started out researching what needs to be done; and i'm just wondering if any of you might know any information as to how much it will cost to start a video store up, get the movies, games, how much it might all cost, etc

Is there a Netflix-like service in New Zealand? If not, advise him to think big.