Spearwood Video Ezy owner Mat Rolfe.
Camera IconSpearwood Video Ezy owner Mat Rolfe. Credit: Supplied/Jon Hewson

Spearwood Video Ezy defies the decline in video stores

Jessica NicoCockburn Gazette

VIDEO might have killed the radio star, but the internet is well on its way to killing the video store.

At the turn of the century, Perth’s video stores were doing a booming business, but the rise of streaming services and easily accessible movies at the click of a mouse has seen it become one of the most endangered industries in the country.

Spearwood Video Ezy owner Mathew Rolfe said the industry decline had happened relatively quickly over the space of five years.

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“People have a lot more choice these days; years ago video stores were one of the only places you could go to get a movie but these days there are over 30 free-to-air TV channels, over six subscription TV models, the internet and its not just how you get your entertainment but how you watch it,” he said.

“It was no one thing that has seen the decline happen so quickly but we have seen some very good stores close due to the increase in overheads associated with running a small business.”

Despite others closing around them, Mr Rolfe’s store has continued to survive and is one of only a handful still running in the metropolitan area.

He said one of the ways the store had stayed relevant was by expanding into pop-culture collectables and being involved in events like Oz Comic Con and Supanova.

“We run Fanbase Collectables out of our Video Ezy Store as a store within a store model; it is basically a pop culture store with anything from coffee mugs, figurines and high end collectables,” he said.

“The collectables has proven to be the extra revenue stream that we needed to ensure we were able to remain open as a video store as well, it is a very symbiotic relationship.

“While we sit back and get excited about what we have and what we are doing, unless we tell people about it, it’s all for nothing and Supanova allows us to showcase what we have but also drive the fact that we are local and we are prepared to help and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

Visit www.facebook.com/vespearwood or www.fanbasecollectables.com.au for more information.

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