WORTHINGTON - Worthington’s last video and game-rental store will soon close its doors.
Family Video began selling its video, game and TV-show selection June 5 in anticipation of a June 22 closing. The store will soon discount its candy, and the display racks are also for sale.
“We’re only selling the merchandise,” said Family Video Worthington Store Manager James Stinger.
He said the closure is one of several sites the franchise recently determined to close. The store in Marshall will also close, he said.
Stinger said management was not given a direct answer why the business will close, but he speculates it’s because revenue recently took a nosedive after the store made the decision to test a new pricing formula, which essentially decreased its rental prices since March.
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“We were the No. 1 store for the first two months of this year,” Stinger said. “Since the price change took effect, we’ve been like bottom of 750 (Family Video locations). We think that has a big factor in it, anyway.”
The idea with the price change, Stinger guessed, was to help push more items out the door.
In a world of online streaming, he does not solely attribute the shift in how individuals get their media content to the video store’s detriment.
Video-rental stores still have value, as they are able to get the new movies that select online streaming sites lag in and at the quantity needed for the area, he shared.
“Maybe the illegal websites that people go to for free hurts (video-rental stores),” he added.
Family Video opened in 2007 after constructing a new building at 1300 Humiston Ave.
What will become of the soon-vacant storefront is unknown, but Stinger said the company plans to put up a “For Lease” sign.
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