Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
Reel World
Where was the store located?
Dublin, Other (Ireland)
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 a huge movie fan all my life and wanted to get into the industry. It worked, I'm now an Avid Editor.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
Small, but very well laid out. New Releases were at the back of the store to get customers to come all the way in. Free sweets on the counter and we (the staff) were encouraged to be very helpful but not intrusive.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
Mostly single professionals living in the area. We had a few celebrities come in and join while they were shooting films in Dublin. (Aiden Quinn, Liam Neeson)
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
Vey nice overall. Very knowledgable about films. My boss would open every day at noon, I would work until six and he would take over then. I would sometimes stay on until about 7 or eight if it was busy.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
Just 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?
We tried to keep a good, diverse back catalogue of older, hard to find movies. They were usually placed in the Recommended or Foreign Films section. They were an alternative rental for customers who were jaded of all the mainstream blockbusters.
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
None.
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?
The business grew in terms of profit, but no major changes really.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Yes, it is still open.