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Once upon a time - not so very long ago - video stores were a regular sight on Brooklyn shopping strips. The advent of video rentals by mail and then instant-watch flicks on the computer, however, changed that, and, gradually, the purveyors of videos have been shutting up shop across the borough.
Amazingly, there were still two Blockbusters in Brooklyn, at 3752 Nostrand Avenue and 6909 18th Avenue, but not for much longer. Come mid-February, the Sheepshead Bay location will shut its doors, leaving only one remaining - and that one is in the heart of Bensonhurst.
"Stores can close for a number of reasons, such as the store reaching the end of its lease, a store may be too large in size, or property owners may be unwilling to reach a reasonable lease renewal," said Kelsey Smith, a spokesperson for Blockbuster, adding that there are no plans at this time to close the store on 18th Avenue. "For employees of any closing stores, we intend to relocate as many employees as possible to other stores."
Christina Frange, who has worked at the 18th Avenue store since the beginning of October, said its success has to do with their customer service. "We are always on top of sales. We let customers know what is going on and we are organized," she said. "I also love the people I work with - they are always friendly with customers."
Frange said that although Netflix is increasingly popular, they offer similar deals. For $14.99 per month, you can rent an unlimited number of games and movies, as long as you take out one at a time. Customers can exchange as many times as they want via mail or in the store.
Netflix's deal of unlimited DVDs in the mail plus online streaming is roughly the same price - but they charge an extra $2 for Blu-Ray discs.
"It's convenient for them to come into the store and pick it out," Frange said. "It's an easy exchange and we have a wide variety."
Customer Tommy Smith was happy to hear that his Blockbuster location was not closing. "I tried Netflix and had a lot of problems with the quality of the movies - a lot were scratched and didn't play," the Dyker Heights resident explained. "So I went back to Blockbuster. The employees are really helpful and pleasant to deal with."
He said the only down side of the location is lack of parking. "I used to go to the one on 86th Street [near Seventh Avenue] because it had a parking lot," Smith said. "But this one is convenient - I can just come in and make an exchange and don't have to wait for anything in the mail. As long as this one is open, I will stay a member."
Kairen Gao agreed. "I just want to see movies," he said. "It's really cheap and the quality of the DVDs are better here than Netflix. I always want to rent Blu-Rays when I have off with one day return. It's a better deal for me."
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