Customer profile
What was the name of your video store?
Erols
Where was the store located?
Rockville, Maryland (United States)
When did you start shopping at this store?
1987
Describe your video store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
My Erols Video store was part of a chain of video stores. When you walked in the door you walked through a turnstile. You had to show your membership card upon entering the store and upon leaving after once again showoing your membership card with payment an employee slid your selected videos down a shute. It was a very secure procedure. There was a counter as you went through the turnstile at the entrance and the NEW releases were placed on this counter after they were returned and processed for reshelving (like library books) If you were lucky you didn't even have to look on racks on the walls along the perimeter of the store-you just picked up the NEW movie of your choice before any other patron even saw it on the shelf. You could also put your name down on a list at this counter for a hot, new movie and the employees would call names as the movies were available. Sometimes on a saturday night there would be at least twenty names waiting for a new release. Going to get a movie was an event!
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?
The employees were very nice and seemed to know about movies. There was no adult section in Erols and as far as convenience-you could rent a movie in one location and then return it to another Erols for an additional charge($1 I think). This was also a time when the Beta format was still being used and the VHS were on the left side of the store, the childrens movies were in the center going to the back, and the Beta were on the right on the store. There wasn't much emphasis on selling snacks in the stores. This came later. Also when you joined (and you paid to join and have the PRIVILEDGE the rent their movies) you could join for life. Well, they went out of business years later-so much for spending the extra money years earlier for a life membership. I remember my children being sick and saying as we left the doctor's office, we'll stop and get the presciptions filled, we'll get popsicles and snacks at the foodstore, and we'll make a run the Erols.
What other services/products did the store offer besides the rental or sale
of videos? Did this change over time?
Basically-movies were their main product. I remember popcorn and a few candy bars. It was shocking and sad when Erols Video closed its video stores and went into the expanding internet business. Though a chain this store had a homey feel-and there actually was an Erol, too.
What video formats did the store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
vhs, beta vhs on the left beta on the right you would bring the movie up to the front of the store and the employees in their yellow shirts would put your rental video into a black box with the bright.yellow and red logo. Those colors were everywhere, large posters on the front store windows and along the store walls interspersed with movie posters. If you asked early enough and the employees didn't take them all you could take home one of those movie posters after a New Release became old and the poster came down. The technology was afforable and exciting by the late 80's and going to the video store was fun.
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?
There were old movies we rented often. Disney was beginning to put their movies onto video and this was a huge deal. You could actually own Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or Fantasia and you didn't have to wait for it to be rereleased by the movie-makers.
Did you tend to rent or buy videos? Why?
We were renters of videos. It was a much less expensive venture and except for some special videos it wasn't necessary to see them again.
During the period that you shopped at this store, what changes did you see?
I saw a vibrant business add snacks and resale movies to it's inventory in larger numbers as the years went by. The stock of Beta tape rentals became smaller and smaller and eventually disappeared. Also I saw a growing business that was not too big to be involved in the community. The store gave our PTA many donations of free movies through the years. They were growing making money, but stayed homey.
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
See earlier answer-don't know what year it closed. The company got very involved in providing internet service. Having had a good experience with them in the video business my family continued to trust them in the internet arena and Erol's became our internet provider. I remember thinking "Where am I going to rent movies from now? Blockbuster was coming in and I didn't like the idea of a NEW place to go-they were too large I thought. As it turned out they were just fine, too.
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 first vcr was a beta. It was a very new technology. With young children I wanted to have a way of watching a movie if I couldn't find a baby-sitter or had to get up and feed a baby. I don't remember the store-it may have been circuit city in maryland. The machines were expensive then and I remember my girlfriend (yes we can program our vcrs) giving me instructions over the phone how to set it up, while my child was napping.
Did you ever rent a VCR or other hardware (a camera, for instance)? If so,
how often and why?
No-didn't need to.