Tim Beatson says Videon and other stores like it have been struggling against the tide. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Tim Beatson says Videon and other stores like it have been struggling against the tide. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The Netflix factor has delivered the death blow to Auckland video institution Videon after the Mt Eden store was slowly being strangled by online movie piracy.
Through the peak years of DVD and VHS videotape, Videon was a go-to shop for weird, obscure and arty films and TV shows -as well as stocking the blockbusters.
But after 36 years trading on Dominion Rd, first south of Balmoral Rd and later near Valley Rd, Videon has surrendered to market forces.
After 36 years of trading the Mt Eden's Videon has been hit hard by streaming services and online piracy and closes down on December 31. Above, senior staffer Tim Beatson. Photo / Jason Oxenham
"It's closing essentially because the industry is in decline and the owners don't have a feasible pivot strategy to be able to sustain the business," said senior staff member Tim Beatson.
An attempt to find a buyer on TradeMe had failed and now the business was being wound down.
While four years ago, online piracy of films was the force killing off suburban video stores, now it is paid streaming video services such as Netflix.
Australian-owned rental chain Video Ezy announced earlier this year it was pulling out of New Zealand. In Auckland, only about 20 video rental stores exist.
Tim Beatson says there is a great degree of sadness among regular customers that the shop will no longer be operating. Photo / Jason Oxenham
For the kind of selection offered by Videon, Beatson points to Auteur House in Hamilton, Aro Video in Wellington and Christchurch's Alice in Videoland.
"We are struggling against the tide," Beatson said, "in terms of what can be delivered much more conveniently and quickly, depending on your broadband access.
"Certainly in the last year we have struggled the hardest."
Videon had held more than 30,000 titles, including international films, silver screen classics, festival movies and special interest titles.
Beatson said some stock had been sold and there were negotiations to sell many other titles to a trust which wanted to make them publicly available through university libraries.
Describing customers' reactions to Videon's decision to close, he said: "There's a great degree of sadness around the idea it will no longer be operating as a business, because it is quite unique in its field."
