Hollywood Video is Netflix’s next victim in Gainesville.
The video store, 4220 NW 16th Blvd., will be closed by the end of this month, according to Griffin Peters, an employee of Hollywood Video for the past seven years.
“Basically, there’s just too much competition,” Peters said. “Netflix and all those companies put a lot of pressure on us.”
Peters also blamed mismanagement at the store for money running out.
Blockbuster’s Archer Road location closed June 12 because of increasing costs and declining business, district manager Andy Cohen said. The other two stores under the same management, located on Northwest 23rd Avenue and Northwest 39th Avenue, are not slated to close. All three stores are franchise-owned, and unless Blockbuster Inc. steps in to reopen the Archer Road store, it will remain closed, Cohen said. All of its employees have been transferred to the other two locations.
“Archer Road is one of the busiest roads in Gainesville,” Cohen said. “The cost of being at that location was high, and the revenue just wasn’t enough.”
The closing of the Archer Road Blockbuster came as a big shock to Jennifer Miller, a junior at UF, who calls herself a longtime customer.
“I thought business was going well,” she said. “Whenever I go, there seems to be a lot of other people.”
Miller said she found out the store was closing when she saw signs saying some movies could be purchased in a closeout sale.
Thomas Harris, 34, said he was upset about the store closing, but not surprised.
“I know it’s a busy street,” he said. “But the economy isn’t great, and there’s ways to get movies online. I’m sure a lot of people aren’t renting as much.”
Miller said she thinks she might turn to the competition now that the Archer Road store is closed.
“I feel kind of bad,” she said. “But I mean, seriously, Redbox is right there at Wal-Mart. It’s easy and cheap, but I do like the selection better at Blockbuster.”
According to a press release and earnings report by Blockbuster, the corporation as a whole is not faring well. Around 500 stores nationwide are scheduled to close this year. With competition like Netflix and Redbox rising, it may get even worse for movie stores.
Cohen said that he was as disappointed by the store closing as everyone else, and he hoped customers show their understanding by staying loyal to the chain.
“To our customers, it happened kind of suddenly, and we apologize,” he said. “We, as a company, really hope they visit our other locations. I know it’s an inconvenience, and we do want to say we’re sorry.”
