Employee profile
What was the name of your video store?
Video Hut
Where was the store located?
Riverside, California (United States)
When did you start working at this store?
1989
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?
This was the Video Store in our neighborhood. Owned by two Sisters whose father ran a construction company out of the back rooms. Our family just got to know the owners and one day they asked if I would be interested in working for them. I was 15 at the time.
Describe your store - what did it look like? What were its distinguishing
features?
What stood out about this store was the building. The outside was made of metal and its shape resembled (a little) a grass hut.
What were your customers like? What particularly memorable customers or events do you remember?
The customers were families who lived in the area. Everyone was a regular. I knew most of the people on a first name basis.
What was your boss like? How did he or she divide the work in the store?
The sisters were co-owners. They didn't really care about the store persay... they mostly just wanted to make money.
What video formats did your store offer (i.e. VHS, Beta, Laserdisc)? Where were
different formats kept in the store?
The store only offered VHS... I worked there at about the time Video Stores started going massive orders. The sisters were so proud when they purchased their first large order... We received like 80 copies of the same movie... We could now complete with the Warehouse. Hah
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?
There was a very small selection of X-rated movies. Everything else was pretty much mainstream.
What other services/products did you offer besides the rental or sale of
programs? Did this change over time?
Nothing other than movies was ever offered in the store.
Did you ever rent VCRs or other hardware to your customers? If so,
how important were hardware rentals to the business?
We did have them available for rent... but I don't recall anyone ever actually renting them.
During the period that you worked at the store, what changes did you see take place?
Near the end of my employment we realized that we would not be in business much longer with the opening of actual rental chains in the area...
Is this store still open? If not, when did it close?
The store closed over 8 years ago.