Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Blockbuster Video
Where was the store located?
Chula Vista, California (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1988
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
bright, new, clean retail; large new releases section, large selection of movies, some movies for sale; located in a "strip mall"-type shopping center; night drop accessible after store hours; approximately 2000 square feet.
What were the employees and/or owners like, and what kinds of interactions
did you have with them? What particularly memorable exchanges or events
do you remember?
don't remember
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
rental of video equipment, vcr's, eventually offering rental of video game equipment, and rental/sales of video games
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS
In addition to mainstream Hollywood movies, what other kinds of videotapes
(for example children's, exercise, or X-rated) did the store rent/sell? Where were these
videos found in the store, and how often did you rent or purchase them?
children's, exercise, documentary, free rental area (public service videos, such as health, public safety, self defense, etc.); very rarely rented these types of videos
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
rent--at that time in my family's history, we did not aspire to own a video collection of any kind
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
increase in availability of previously rented videos; video games; video game equipment; sale of snack food
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
still open, as far as I know (I moved away in 1994)
In your own words, tell the story of your first VCR/video player. Where
and when did you buy it, and why did you decide to make the purchase?
My mother purchased our first VCR in 1988, after years of hearing stories of my sister and I watching videos with my father on visits with him. I think the purchase was made primarily to "keep up with the Jones'" but also to reduce entertainment costs (i.e., two teenagers wanting to go to the movies every weekend), and to tape late-night and daytime television programming to watch at our convenience.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
I believe we rented a VCR once, because ours wasn't working.