Why this might be your last chance to buy a DVD
It’s the end of an era as Civic Video in Sydney’s Newtown closes after 35 years, with patrons in a mad rush to stock up on DVDs before the doors are shut for good.
Despite the rise of streaming services like Netflix, DVD warehouses and illegal downloading methods, Civic Video is still hanging in there with 27 brick-and-mortar stores across the country, serving a small group of dedicated clients.
The Sydney Newtown Civic Video was one of the chain’s last holdouts in the Harbour City, but on Sunday loyal customers were given the bad news via text message.
Now the store, which has approximately 25,000 titles on the shelves, is selling off its selection to all comers, prompting a miniresurgence in foot traffic. Ironically, more customers have passed through the doors in the last few days than in recent months.
Sabah, who’s worked at Civic for about six months, told News.com.au, “The regulars kept us going. We’ve had more people in here since we announced we’re shutting down than we’ve had since I can remember.
“Coming to work every day is like travelling back in time. You’re part of a dying industry, so working here has a neighbourhood feel you don’t get anywhere else.”
#civic #VIDEO #Newtown #childhoodmemories pic.twitter.com/emtgtKlDqy
— Weesey (@weeseytheweird) February 28, 2017
With at least six weeks of the closing down sale left, there’s still a little bit of time for nostalgia hunters in the Harbour City to scour the shelves for an old favourite.
Do you use streaming services? Or are you sad to see video stores disappear?