Movie Movers finds niche in ever-changing home movie market
In a brave new world filled with new offerings from the likes of TiVo, Netflix and Amazon.com, trying to expand on the traditional video store might seem akin to trying to bring back the beeper.
However, expansion is exactly what Movie Movers owner Kyle Hansen has in mind.
While home entertainment giants like Hollywood Video continue to flounder, Hansen says he's managed to stay ahead of the game by providing the knowledge and selection not found elsewhere.
"Rather than compete with the online dealers and Wal-Marts, we focus on things you won't find anywhere else," Hansen said. "We love movies, so we understand what movie-lovers want."
And according to Hansen, customers have responded.
Open in Hazel Dell since 2005, Movie Movers buys DVDs and VHS tapes for cash or store credit, restoring and repackaging the films before reselling them to the public.6-11-2010 Edition
The prices average $5 for popular titles, with overstocked VHS tapes running as little as a dollar and some rare DVDs costing up to $50, depending on condition and projected resale value, according to Hansen.
"Last week a guy came in with four DVDs and expected 10 bucks, but I paid him $50," he said. "Then again, when people try to sell me a copy of ‘Saw,' I take them to the back and show them the mountain of those discs we are waiting to move."
Last year, Hansen opened another location on N.E. Fourth Plain Road in Orchards, joining Movie Movers' "flagship" store on Hazel Dell's Highway 99.
"We aren't rolling in money or anything, but we're doing fine," he said.
The same might not be said for Hollywood Video. On May 4, Hollywood's parent company notified Oregon state officials that it would shut down all of its 35 Oregon stores, including its four remaining Clark County locations. The company also plans to close its Wilsonville corporate headquarters by October, with 60 employees losing their jobs.
Online competitors, including popular Internet video streaming services offered by Netflix, have been credited for causing the demise of many brick-and-mortar video stores throughout the U.S.
However, Movie Movers in Vancouver and similarly-minded niche video retailer Movie Madness in Portland look to survive by catering to a more knowledgeable – and loyal – clientele.
"There are history buffs and Japanese cinema buffs, so it's a very unique atmosphere," Hansen said. "You have to know whether to call a customer, ‘sir' or ‘dude.'"
Beyond a selection ranging from film classics to cult classics from "Gone with the Wind" to "Bio-Dome" and "Citizen Kane" to "Fight Club" – Movie Movers' six-person staff is integral to its success, according to Hansen.
Dustin Chipchase, a manager of the Hazel Dell location, Hansen called the "heart of the company," said the atmosphere at Movie Movers was also beneficial for employees.
"Before this, I never had a job where I felt appreciated," Chipchase said. "Just little things, like saying, ‘Thanks,' mean so much."
Photo caption: Movie Movers, with two locations in Vancouver, has bucked the down trend in traditional brick-and-mortar video stores by catering to local film aficionados.
