Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
Blockbuster Video
Where was the store located?
Vinton, Virginia (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 loved and still love the video/DVD industry. Back then there was no DVD's. Only VHS. This store is 2 minutes from my house, that's another reason I worked there.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
It's a Blockbuster Video. They are all the same.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
We had 1 guy that had rented almost very movie in there. He was in there all the time.
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
My boss was a butch lesbian and not very nice.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
VHS, that's it.
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?
No X-rated stuff in Blockbuster. Plenty of kids videos.
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
We sold/rented all console games. Back then it was Nintendo 64 and Playstation.
Did you ever rent VCRs or other hardware to your customers? If so,
how important were hardware rentals to the business?
We rented VCR's, not many though.
During the period that you worked at the store, what changes did you see take place?
No major changes
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
Yes it is