Washington's last video store calls it quits

Potomac Video, Washington's last video rental store, is closing down at the end of May. Image: Black and White

Potomac Video, which loaned films and documentaries to Washingtonians for 33 years, will close its doors at the end of May, its general manager Matt McNevin said.

The lone storefront, located on a major thoroughfare in the city's northwest, was once part of a larger network of 24 branches. Its one remaining location will close after it sells off its stock.

"We have a very loyal fan base which is not big enough anymore," McNevin said.

"When Netflix first started we were able to coexist with them because people would still come to the store to get what was unavailable through the online provider," he added.

"But it's just the accumulation of everything, Amazon, on-demand, iTunes. It's all the ways people can get movies now," he said.

Official figures from the US Census Bureau cited by the Washington Post show that the number of video stores in the United States dropped from 17,828 in 2006 to 6,650 in 2011.

Blockbuster, a chain which counted 9,000 stores at its peak 10 years ago, closed its last remaining branches at the beginning of the year.

Potomac Video follows in the footsteps of Lamont Video, another Washington rental store, which closed its doors at the end of March.

"I'm very sad because I feel like there is still a place for us," McNevin said. "Streaming is great and digital delivery of movies is great," he added.

"However, it's not at a point yet where people can get everything they want, especially if you enjoy foreign films and documentaries and independent films," he said.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge