What happens to old Hollywood Video stores?

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spmahn

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Seriously though, it's pretty damn sad that I still see abandoned Hollywood Video stores with all signage and fixtures still intact, 6 years after one of the local ones here went out of business. The other local store was abandoned the same way for about 2 years but recently half the building was converted into a Popeyes Chicken, the other half still remains abandoned and full of fixtures though.

Anyone else have old abandoned department stores left in their area? Anyone who lives on the East Coast can attest to the fact that a decade after closing, there are still a TON of abandoned Ames stores that still contain all original signage. The local Caldor remained abandoned for a long time until it was turned into a Planet Fitness a few years ago. Abandoned Border's buildings are already becoming an eyesore, and I have a feeling that most of them will stay empty for a long time. Funny enough, the office building where I work used to be an abandoned Wal-Mart, and if you walk around, you can still see some uniquely Wal-Mart features in the architecture and fixtures.
 
The one around here got turned into a Panera, but took a few years before it turned into that. The other one got turned into a 7 Eleven pretty quickly.

But those locations are usually abandoned for a reason, and it's not just because the company that had it before went under. I still see empty CC stores in shopping centers that are pretty much dead.
 
I only know of one here, and it was recently turned into a gamestop. But media play still left several abandoned buildings here that are unused to this day. What about CC, they definitely left some abandoned buildings here.
 
All the local CC's around here either became Savers or PC Richards, and it's funny because the buildings still retain the stupid entranceway that looks like an electrical socket.
 
[quote name='spmahn']All the local CC's around here either became Savers or PC Richards, and it's funny because the buildings still retain the stupid entranceway that looks like an electrical socket.[/QUOTE]

Some are like city landmarks so they can't be touched. There is a store called Rasputin that took over Tower Records a few years back, but the city refused to let them remodel the outside because it was like one of the first Tower Records ever, so it still says Tower Records on the outside, lol.
 
[quote name='SaraAB']I only know of one here, and it was recently turned into a gamestop. But media play still left several abandoned buildings here that are unused to this day. What about CC, they definitely left some abandoned buildings here.[/QUOTE]

I loved Media Play. Used to go to Eastern Hills Mall and then down the road to the Media Play all the time. Even remember one "Triple Points Bonus Weekend" where they had tons of free pizza, chicken wings, desserts, etc etc for customers.

There is still a Hollywood Video left abandoned here where I live now. Hell, there are tons of buildings that I think never had a store in the, built and then abandoned. This area I'm in now was growing so fast, then the housing market died and the growth here died with it.
 
[quote name='spmahn']Anyone who lives on the East Coast can attest to the fact that a decade after closing, there are still a TON of abandoned Ames stores that still contain all original signage.[/QUOTE]

Funny you mention that, the one in my town is now the home of the local business & tech college as they outgrew their old location. People jokingly refer to it as Ames School of Business & Technology.

There's another abandoned Ames a town over still sitting empty on the road to their Wal-Mart. (Along with a few other empty buildings including their K-Mart that closed in the 80's or 90's, I think)

Oh and we still have an open West Coast Video in my town. From what I gather, there are 3 or so stores in the area still operating under the name. I've seen probably close to a dozen though on various trips that sound like Hollywood stores with the signage and fixtures still attached.

Also, nearby there's an f'n huge abandoned Value City. There's a little Furniture store in a smaller attached building but the Value City has been empty since they did their mass closures. It's sad as they have a huge building and parking lot, but neither have been repaired in at least 20 years if not longer.

Then again, there's an absolute ton of abandoned stores in my area. Real estate isn't worth much where I live (which is why I live here). There's a few spots with seemingly turnkey operations. There was one corner store that was a burger joint, then a Mexican restaurant, then a Puerto Rican restaurant, then anoher Mexican restaurant, and now it's a Thrift Store. The Puerto Rican place lasted about two months, I think. The second Mexican restaurant lasted under a month.
 
The CC that closed around me got turned into some Rally Sports Apparel place with a Chucky Cheese's next to it. (Remodeled building to have 2 store fronts) Sat empty for 3 years until that happened.
 
[quote name='SierraNight']I loved Media Play. Used to go to Eastern Hills Mall and then down the road to the Media Play all the time. Even remember one "Triple Points Bonus Weekend" where they had tons of free pizza, chicken wings, desserts, etc etc for customers.

There is still a Hollywood Video left abandoned here where I live now. Hell, there are tons of buildings that I think never had a store in the, built and then abandoned. This area I'm in now was growing so fast, then the housing market died and the growth here died with it.[/QUOTE]

I used to clean up on anime stuff at media play, one time one memorial day weekend I was literately getting big plush toys for $2 each, I didn't have their rewards card, and this was before they started that nonsense but I think they would just put everything on markdown. They would put stuff for like 75% off and an extra 30% off or something like that. Though my regret was not picking up one of those Megaman PET's they had bins of for like $3 each. They would have good game sales occasionally, one time they had an $8 DS game sale which included phoenix wright and lots of other good games, that was pretty epic considering the game was fetching $60 on ebay at the time.

I think the shopping plaza's here are busier than the malls now.
 
There were two Hollywood Videos relatively close to where I live. Both have yet to be turned into anything, so it just looks abandoned with some random fixtures and some signage.

Same thing with the two local circuit cities we had. Both remain empty.
 
The store I worked for (gamecrazy part) is now an auto parts store.
 
While I don't know what happened to the store I worked at, the one where I live turned into a Dollar Tree. The old BBV that was down the street has been abandoned for 2 years now.
 
I was sad to see Blockbuster and Hollywood go. It felt like a part of my youth was gone, and we were entering a new world. (one I did not want)

I understand netflix and all but it seemed like there would still be enough people in the United States that still wanted to do it the old fashion way rent a movie and get home and pop it in and watch it. Redbox is the one capitalizing off that fact these days. Not to mention wouldnt people still want to rent video games? I mean it's not like Netflix had any effect on that that. But then there's gamefly for that I guess.
 
[quote name='VidgamesgivemeA_D_D']I was sad to see Blockbuster and Hollywood go. It felt like a part of my youth was gone, and we were entering a new world. (one I did not want)

I understand netflix and all but it seemed like there would still be enough people in the United States that still wanted to do it the old fashion way rent a movie and get home and pop it in and watch it. Redbox is the one capitalizing off that fact these days. Not to mention wouldnt people still want to rent video games? I mean it's not like Netflix had any effect on that that. But then there's gamefly for that I guess.[/QUOTE]

I think Redbox killed these places more than Netflix. Once I was let go, it was easier for me to go to the supermarket which has a redbox for an impulse rent for a dollar than pay 4-5 bucks for a rental from Hollywood in the same plaza. Plus once it went from the overpriced bundles of soda and candy to disc protection and magazine subscriptions (at my Hollywood they had those scams for three free issues of a magazine with auto renew,) it wasn't worth dealing with a sales pitch.
 
Yeah I do agree towards the end their prices just got ridiculous.

Tbh I was reminising but I didn't even use either the last few years of their lives. (except when Hollywood had their occasional awesome used game sale)
 
Both of the local HWV stores have finally been converted over to other uses but it seemed to take forever for that to happen. The one I used to always score at during their $5 game sales was turned into some lil neighborhood grocery store, while the one closer to me got turned into a cell phone store.

Unfortunately both of them had a TON of fixtures including shelving in them when they were still empty. I woulda gladly made an arrangement with the owners of the sites for some of those shelves if they would've taken a low price for them.

Otherwise, we have a closed down Phar-Mor store that hasn't been used since that chain shut down. There's also one former Circuit City store that is still empty around here, save for when it gets used temporarily in the fall for a Halloween themed store.

There's not really that many stores that're still vacant that have been vacant for a long time around here, unless you count the one Ames store up the line that finally became a Peebles and a Dollar Tree about 4-6 years ago or so.

Even the Blockbuster stores that closed have been converted to something different very quickly. A couple of them became doctors offices and one more became a gym. I think there's only maybe two BBV stores that're still empty around here.
 
Media Play -- split between REI and a liquor warehouse
Circuit City -- LA Fitness
BBV -- 1 mattress store and several still empty
HWV -- both still empty
 
Our Hollywood Vid is still an empty building.


If anything opens in there (and I doubt it), odds are it's going to be another food place. People around here aren't fat enough. You can't take 2 steps without walking into food.
 
[quote name='VidgamesgivemeA_D_D']I was sad to see Blockbuster and Hollywood go. It felt like a part of my youth was gone, and we were entering a new world. (one I did not want)

I understand netflix and all but it seemed like there would still be enough people in the United States that still wanted to do it the old fashion way rent a movie and get home and pop it in and watch it. Redbox is the one capitalizing off that fact these days. Not to mention wouldnt people still want to rent video games? I mean it's not like Netflix had any effect on that that. But then there's gamefly for that I guess.[/QUOTE]

Family Video does really good business in the Midwest. They're the biggest chain left.
 
[quote name='MSUHitman']Family Video does really good business in the Midwest. They're the biggest chain left.[/QUOTE]

Yeah we used to have a Family Video here (West Texas) But we still do have a Hastings.

Hastings is a pretty big chain, but I did live in Virginia for a few years and it did not exist there.

Found the map

DCkk1.png


It's still alive and thriving. (well I dont know if it's thriving, but it's alive)
 
The one I worked at got converted into a CVS Pharmacy, the other one was a Spirit: Halloween Store for a little while and I think has since became a sporting goods store, another one got turned into a Dollar Tree... I dunno, I don't really like driving past old Hollywood Video/GameCrazy locations, it makes me sad.
 
[quote name='VidgamesgivemeA_D_D']I was sad to see Blockbuster and Hollywood go. It felt like a part of my youth was gone, and we were entering a new world. (one I did not want)

I understand netflix and all but it seemed like there would still be enough people in the United States that still wanted to do it the old fashion way rent a movie and get home and pop it in and watch it. Redbox is the one capitalizing off that fact these days. Not to mention wouldnt people still want to rent video games? I mean it's not like Netflix had any effect on that that. But then there's gamefly for that I guess.[/QUOTE]

The problem is that Redbox and Netflix changed the video rental industry. For decades Blockbuster had a virtual monopoly on the Rental Industry, and conspired with film studios to fix prices and make it so that they were the only place in town where you could get your movie fix after films left theaters. Two things happened that led to their downfall

1. DVD's. DVD's were much cheaper to produce than VHS tapes. Around this time the business model changed, film studios abandoned their price fixing agreement, cut out the middle man, and sold movies direct to consumers. Previously trying to purchase new movies on VHS was expensive, they had to be special ordered, and cost $100 or more. Now that the studios are selling direct to consumers, prices dropped, and new movies can now be purchased by consumers for ~ $20.

2. Netflix and Redbox completely changed the rental market. Consumers are now programmed to be used to being able to rent and watch movies for free, or almost free. Why would I go to Blockbuster and rent a movie for $5 or $6 when I can go to Redbox and get it for $1? Blockbuster simply can't compete with that, there's not enough revenue there to cover overhead and operating expenses.

It's sort of sad, but I lament the loss of the local mom and pop video stores far more than I do Blockbuster or Hollywood.
 
Hastings is good for some bargains on movies and CDs and in store B1G1 for a $1 on used DVDs/Blus can be worth it. Good selection of books too.
 
They remodeled and moved a Circuit City store here (reportedly a $200K renovation) and closed it six months later. Whoops.
 
[quote name='JJSP']They remodeled and moved a Circuit City store here (reportedly a $200K renovation) and closed it six months later. Whoops.[/QUOTE]

I was working at CC at the time and they did that with multiple stores during the last 12 months of operation. The definition of the inmates running the asylum.
 
[quote name='spmahn']All the local CC's around here either became Savers or PC Richards, and it's funny because the buildings still retain the stupid entranceway that looks like an electrical socket.[/QUOTE]
Lol, guess that store never got renovated then because that's going back 20 years or better. Most of the stores around here did away with the entry long before they went under.
 
[quote name='MSUHitman']Family Video does really good business in the Midwest. They're the biggest chain left.[/QUOTE]
I love Family Video. I always wondered how HWV and BBV lasted so long located near Family Video's since FV's prices are so low.
I don't mind going to Family Video over Redbox because I have a better chance of getting the movie for 2 nights for $3, instead of a remote chance of getting a new release for 1 night/$1. Plus old movies for $1 or 2/$1.

[quote name='skiizim']The one that closed down by my parents house became a Panda Express.[/QUOTE]
That is by far an upgrade
 
[quote name='VidgamesgivemeA_D_D']That's one I really do miss is Circuit City.

Circuit City >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Best Buy[/QUOTE]

Yep... though firing all the experienced employees may have led to useless customer support, it was nice that they never organized their clearance games, and therefore, it was so easy to get deals there.
 
[quote name='pyoobez']Funny you mention that, the one in my town is now the home of the local business & tech college as they outgrew their old location. People jokingly refer to it as Ames School of Business & Technology.

..........[/QUOTE]


Now that shytes funny right there. The Ames signage still there?
 
One BBV here was a Spirit, and is now a coffee place. A Movie Gallery was a "club" for high school kids called Club U-21, but it got no business and is now a gym.
 
...I still have a Hollywood Video gift card (10 bucks lol) I have yet to throw away. Got it as a gift card and I didn't want to use it until the stores starting closing. That was when they told me I couldn't use it. I dunno why I still have it. I guess I can't throw away money. Even if it's as useless as monopoly money.
 
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