Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
Ray's Video
Where was the store located?
Chico, California (United States)
When did you start working at this store?
1988
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 had just graduated high school and I wanted to work at Ray's in the worst way. Other than Tower Records, it was probably the most coveted job, what with the free rentals and such. Luckily my older sister worked there so I was "grandfathered" in, so to speak.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
Pretty standard except for these Vegas-style lights they had around the edge of the huge windows.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
We served a good mix of locals and college students. One local in particular, a gentleman by the name of Sam, came into the store every morning and rented at least one video. Usually three...
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
Bernie Richter was the heart and soul of that place. He was gregarious, intelligent and a little scary. But he really did treat his employees well. He went on to become a California state assemblyman.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
In the years I was an employee (88-92) they only rented VHS.
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?
Ray's Video really had a great selection. New releases, classics, children's videos, documentaries, foreign, and soft core. No X-rated tapes.
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
They had a video production facility (wedding videos, etc) and they at one time rented Laser Tag equipment.
Did you ever rent VCRs or other hardware to your customers? If so,
how important were hardware rentals to the business?
Yes. In addition to VCR's they rented video cameras, Super Nintendo & Sega Genesis machines.
During the period that you worked at the store, what changes did you see take place?
I was definitely there during Ray's peak. When I left in '92 they had expanded to a second location, Ray's Superstore. It had pool tables, video game stations, and a McPlayland-style kids center. A corporate feel began to set in.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Sadly Ray's is no more. It's fiercest competitor, All the Best Video, now occupies Ray's original location.