Video rental store closing doors

Andrea, Shane (centre) and Josh Buchan are walking away from Oamaru's Video Ezy store. PHOTO: HAMISH MACLEAN
Andrea, Shane (centre) and Josh Buchan are walking away from Oamaru's Video Ezy store. PHOTO: HAMISH MACLEAN
After 12 years of late returns, renting out cult classics and providing Oamaru with a meeting spot, Andrea and Shane Buchan are shutting the doors of their Video Ezy store.

Mrs Buchan said at the time she and her husband bought the franchise, customers could still buy videos and DVDs were just coming in.

The decision to take on the video store was brought about because Mr Buchan was made redundant.

He and Mrs Buchan decided to buy @ezivu, a video rental store, before buying the Video Ezy store and then merging both stores, Mr Buchan said.

Mrs Buchan said the key highlights of operating the business were interacting with customers and staff camaraderie.

"I used to be able to pinpoint when people would come in.

"Some people have just been wonderful and wished us well.''

She still thought there was demand for what a video store could offer a community over online streaming services.

Many people still could not afford computers let alone high internet speeds, she said.

"A lot of our customers are upset we're closing. Someone was taking a receipt home to frame it,'' Mrs Buchan said

Mr Buchan said he and his partner were looking forward to no longer having to worry about late returns.

The reason they were closing was to concentrate on their other family business.

The store would hold two garage sale days on June 19 and June 26, their last day of operation.

"The one thing we're looking forward to is selling everything in our last three weeks.''

Both sale days start at 10.30am and go until 4pm.

Three staff members will be affected by the closure.

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