Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
5 Star Video
Where was the store located?
Berkeley, California (United States)
When did you start working at this store?
1996
In your own words, how did you get started working in video retail? What
led you to choose the video industry, and this store in particular?
I was in between college and law school and needed something to fill my time. this store was the one that I had been going to and it was right down the street from where I lived.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
the store is a warehouse space - very open, with metal rolling racks on which many movies were displayed. against the walls racks were fixed into place. The front of the store was a glass wall subdivided in three places to make four sections.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
many diverse customers, many who would come to the store 3-5 times per week. several of the customers are quite tedious, and required a lot of attention. many others were charming and interesting, with a genuine knowledge of an interest in movies.
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
boss/owner is generally nice, highly informal. willing to take ad hoc breaks with employees to smoke or talk or joke. all employees have the same responsibilities, and it is up to them to divide the work among themselves. the other employees are generally very knowledgable about film.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS, DVD. we also sold popcorn.
In addition to mainstream Hollywood movies, what other kinds of videotapes
(children's videos or X-rated tapes, for example) did you rent/sell? Where were these
videos found in your store, and how important were they to the business?
childrens videos, adult videos, very extensive independent cinema collection, very extensive foreign film collection, moderate cult video selection. our store also has every single criterion disk.
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
just the rental. we sold off extra copies of new dvds after a few weeks of renting.
Did you ever rent VCRs or other hardware to your customers? If so,
how important were hardware rentals to the business?
no.
During the period that you worked at the store, what changes did you see take place?
saw our hours extended.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
yes, still doing good business.