My experience selling Christian books in Radiator Springs

     

What was my experience selling Christian books at Radiator Springs?? Well, I actually didn't do either one. But I have pretended to do that in my house. Five years ago, the unfortunate event of the Family Christian Bookstore's demise took place. There hasn't been another Christian bookstore in my local area since and the closest one currently to my house is 30 miles away. I have been sad over this and I have wanted to fill the void with opening my own Christian bookstore. I was only 15 years old when the Family Christian Store closed, so I wasn't old enough to have a job (which I still haven't applied for, but I would like to soon) and any income to support myself, much less a store in a struggling, but crucial industry. What does that to do with Radiator Springs and Disney Cars though, because Christian bookstores are the retail stores you get the farthest away from Disney Cars franchise. VeggieTales, 321 Penguins!!, and the Adventures of Odyssey reign supreme in these stores and the online presence of these stores. So, how does Disney Cars relate to all of us??

    Well, this is where Tow Mater comes to help me. The weeks prior to the Family Christian selling books for the last time, I was involved in a barbershop chorus where I was singing famous songs in a fun and lighthearted way. I had a very fun time with the chorus singing all these songs and in fact, most of my best singing performances were, and still are, not on stage or practicing but singing songs during day to day life, in the house, on walks, working outside, or in the car. As I was imitating different songs using the voices of artists from my favorite bands, I thought it would be fun to imitate the unpolished Southern voice of Tow Mater or Larry the Cable Guy in the real world. I know my Barbershop chorus or any chorus of that matter would not approve of that voice, but singing like Mater does give me a light hearted and cheerful spirit. 

How was Mater involved with my attempt to fill this void in our community??  Well, in 2017, on Memorial day weekend when my mom and dad went on a getaway trip, my grandparents came to sit my brother and I at our house. I know my mother and father weren't in the house to watch my activity, so this was the perfect opportunity to be sneaky by starting a fictional store, Jesus n Mater, combining the themes of Christianity with the Cars world in the same building. I thought this would make sense because the heyday of Christian bookstores seemed to coincide with VeggieTales's success and I wanted to replicate this with the Cars to bring a resurgence of Christian TV program and possibly Christian society. After I set this store up, at the annoyance of my parents, I continued to pretend to run this store off and on for a whole year, until my mother raised my rent to $5 for having my signs in the window. 

   Even though none of these ideas have really
happened and don't seem like they will for a while, you may be wondering, where can I still buy Christian books at a bookstore locally?? Well, there is a Christian bookstore in Sacramento called Family Books and Gifts. It is actually in a suburb called North Highlands, where the Former McClellan Air Force Base and the current Sacramento Aviation Museum also reside. If you don't want to go that far, there are Barnes and Noble bookstores in Folsom, Citrus Heights, and Roseville, Half Price Books in Citrus Heights, and the mom and pop bookstores such as the Book House in Cameron Park. If you are fine with borrowing books from a library, there are church libraries in the local area to find Christian books and media. 

         If another Christian bookstore is viable for the Sacramento region along with Family Books and Gifts, where do you think it would do the best at??  In the northeast quadrant: 1. Folsom, 2. Rancho Cordova, 3. Citrus Heights, 4. Roseville, 5. Rocklin, 6. El Dorado Hills, or 7. Placerville or Cameron Park, or do you think the void is in the southwest quadrant of South Sacramento and Elk Grove??

Thank you for reading my blogpost and God bless. 

What about Bob?? What about Dave?? What are they doing in Folsom??

 

    What is Bob from What about Bob?? and Dave who defeated Goliath in the Bible, have to do with these new businesses opening in Folsom. Well, Bob just opened a furniture store, so he meets the demand Marvin has to buy a new couch for his office and Dave is opening a new chicken restaurant to meet Jimmy Gourd's craving for some fried chicken (for those who know the VeggieTales rendition of the David and Goliath account). 

       Even though it isn't Bill Murray or King David opening these places, these are really new businesses opening in Folsom. Bob's Discount Furniture recently opened in the Broadstone Plaza shopping center where Stein Mart was formerly located, and a new chicken restaurant called Dave's Hot Chicken is opening in the Sam's Club, Best Buy, and REI center right next to Chipotle and Lazi Cow. 

Bob's Discount Furniture has been aggressively expanding across the country, opening stores and filling many popular retail spaces many of the stores that have closed or cut back operations operated at. They have also opened two other stores in the Sacramento area in Roseville and Elk Grove. Bob's Discount Furniture sells Furniture, Mattresses, and Home Decor. Their Folsom store opened in May of 2022. Bob's Discount Furniture started in 1991 by Bob Kaufmann in Newington, Connecticut and has expanded to currently operate 150 stores across the United States. They are one of the few low-cost furniture companies in the United States and they do this by "buying straight from the manufacturers and by not offering brand labels," according to Housing Digest.

Dave's Hot Chicken has also been expanding rapidly, along with the apparent craze of the Nashville Hot Chicken scene with many new chicken restaurants opening in our area- Mom and Pop Chicken Shop in Cameron Park, Roostarz in El Dorado Hills, and Von's Chicken Shop in Folsom, all during 2020-2021. My own personal experience with Dave's Hot Chicken was when we went to San Bernardino to visit my brother Caleb. My family and I didn't eat there, but we witnessed a line out the door at the restaurant similar to those at a Best Buy or any store on Black Friday. I was wondering, is this place really good and really popular and likely to become the next KFC or Chick fil A, or is it a new fad that will dissipate after the grand opening and close in a few years?? Only time will tell when I see the Folsom location. Maybe I will need to try it if there is anything I can eat there to judge that. Dave's Hot Chicken was started by Dave Kopushyan, who was a chef trained by Thomas Keller of the French Laundary, Arman Oganesyan, and Tommy and Gary Rubenyan, at a stand in a parking lot in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California in 2017. Their goal is to create the perfect (the best) Hot Chicken with their juiciness, tenderness, and the spices made in the process. They plan to open the restaurant location in 2022 and there are two other locations in the works in the Sacramento area, in Arden Arcade and Fair Oaks. They currently have 61 locations and plans to open 500+ locations according to Vetted Biz. 

         For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.                                 

                                                                                                               John 3:16.

                                            Thank You for reading my blogpost and God bless!!

  

Where are retailers likely to stay open and succeed??

 

Placerville Hardware, the oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi, has been in operation for over 150 years. 

           During my time writing my blog and even before writing my blog, I have often struggled with businesses going under and not being able to shop or eat at these places anymore. Similar to the problem of death, but in a less serious matter. At death, we are separated from someone from the time they die until Jesus returns or when we die. But it often isn't like that in the business world. When Circuit City, Hollywood Video, Borders, Sports Authority, and Family Christian stores closed their doors, their presence as a company may have ended, but the experience of going to those stores often lives on in another company or locally owned store locations. Places such as Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Dick's Sporting Goods, Big 5 Sporting Goods, independent Christian bookstores, and surprisingly in some areas, video rental stores, still provide the products and experience these stores provided. But some of these stores still living may be struggling and there is fear that some of these may go under soon. Fortunately, some of these are still doing well and are likely to remain open for the long term. I often have had anxiety about some of these places closing in the future and I often eased my mind by delving into researching these businesses to see how they are doing.

   This reminds me of the Bible passage when Jesus is describing the wheat and the tares which growing together, are similar in appearance and will live together until they are separated at the end of the age. This is how I feel when I research businesses. I often try to distinguish with a few strategies in determining which ones are the locations that are doing well and are essential to the retail store’s success, the wheat of the retail world, versus the ones which are struggling and are likely to close, the tares of the retail world. Here are the few I am listing in this article:

1. Store Remodels: See if the store has been renovated recently or if they are outdated. This can be a good indicator that a store location is a high performer among a retail chain. Retailers are willing to invest money in store remodels at locations that are making the most money and have the best outlook for their future. But I have heard many examples of retailers remodeling stores only to turn around and close them. For example, Sports Authority and Toys R Us had remodeled several of their stores only to close them down when both companies went under. But these are companies which went out of business, so all their stores whether old or new, closed. But there are also examples in which the same company still has stores with the old look even if they closed stores. For example, when the FYE (For Your Entertainment) Record Store bought out Sam Goody in 2006, they later decided in 2008, to convert all the Sam Goody stores into the FYE brand. But there were still a few which kept the Sam Goody name, with the reason that they couldn’t afford to get new signage for the FYE name. This is an interesting example because during the recession, many of the stores they remodeled into FYE from the Sam Goody name closed a couple of years after they were remodeled. Interestingly, there are still two stores FYE owns that still operate with the Sam Goody signage 14 years later. One in Medford, Oregon, and the other in St. Clairsville, Ohio. If they kept the Sam Goody name because they couldn't afford new signage, that would usually be a sign they would be gone in a year or two. But they still operate in 2022 with the same name, surviving the Great Recession, the iPod, and so far, through COVID, music streaming, and online shopping, as a brick-and-mortar music store similar to how it was 20 years ago. True, some of the things have changed at the stores, as they have adapted by adding more memorabilia and reducing the CD selection to remain viable and they may have become more popular as people are nostalgic about the past. Still, it is interesting how places manage to stay open without a remodel for several years, while some places close soon after their remodel. 

 

2.       2. Seeing how many people an area has in order to support different businesses. I believe this one is the best method in determining if a retail store can be successful in a place or not. For example, there often tends to be one Walmart per 45,000, one Target per 75,000, one Office Depot or Staples per 168,000, one Best Buy per 250,000, one Barnes and Noble per 400,000, one Apple store per 1,000,000, and one IKEA per 2,000,000, to name a few. This is usually an accurate and useful formula to determine what places can support different stores. 

        There are a few outliers. For example, there are two Staples and an Office Depot in Bozeman, Montana, an area that is rapidly growing but only has 144,000 people in a 60-mile radius. Most areas that size only have one Office Depot or Staples. How are they able to support three? Best Buy being absent from the area, tourism, lower cost of operating a business to California standards (but not national standards as the cost of living is 21% higher than the U.S.), and the strong business environment may provide clues to this question. But even with these factors, it still seems odd. 

      Another example is a retail deficiency. Stockton, California lost its only Bed Bath and Beyond store in 2020, even though its 10-mile radius has 360,000 people and San Joaquin County has 762,948 people and growing. Most areas that size still have one or even two Bed Bath and Beyond stores. Even Quincy, Illinois, and Carson City, Nevada, areas with only 130,000 people both still have a Bed Bath and Beyond store. Why is this the case? There may be several reasons, having 5 department stores which are Macy's, JCPenney, Kohl's, McCaulou's, the only Dillard's in Northern California, and one of the few remaining full-line Sears in existence. This is the strongest argument on why Bed Bath and Beyond may have closed this store. Some arguments I had thought of when figuring this out are the high cost of operating business in California (I don't know if this is as important on Bed Bath and Beyond since they operate stores in much more expensive parts of California: San Francisco, and Oakland to name a couple and Stockton is one of the more affordable places in the state to operate businesses), the poverty and crime in the area (Stockton isn't necessarily that much poorer than the rest of the state and in fact, the dollar made there could have more purchasing power from a lower cost of living and higher wages and the store was in a nicer area of town), and Modesto being a stronger retail center (may be the strongest of the three, but Modesto having the only Bed Bath and Beyond in the three-county area: San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced is somewhat odd. It makes sense for the Apple Store which commands a greater population. But Bed Bath and Beyond usually have a store per 400,000 to 500,000 people, San Joaquin is well above that threshold. 

   Then again, many retail businesses operate stores in small towns or in less popular malls, while bypassing bigger towns and malls. The last Blockbuster Video store is in Bend, Oregon, and not in New York's Times Square.  The FYE (For Your Entertainment) Music store doesn't operate at the Mall of America, King of Prussia Mall, The Galleria Houston, South Coast Plaza, or even at the local Galleria at Roseville or Arden Fair Malls, even though they do operate at large malls. But they do operate at small town malls such as the Bayshore Mall in Eureka, California, the Rio West Mall in Gallup, New Mexico, the Yuba Sutter Mall in Yuba City, California, and the Hanford Mall in Hanford, California to name a few. Cost Plus World Market has a store in small Park City, Utah, but none in the Utah Valley (Provo/Orem area) and only operate one in Salt Lake County in Cottonwood Heights. Whole Foods has no stores in the Utah Valley in Utah or in the Inland Empire of Southern California, but do operate in small towns as Sonoma, California, Park City, Utah, Sebastopol, California, and just opened a store in South Lake Tahoe, California. Many small businesses have their only location in a small town and many business sectors are more prevalent in small towns than in big cities- antique stores are an example. Services aren't just needed in big towns; small towns are just as important in several business sectors and not everyone is positioned to operate in a big city market. 

3.  Looking at the competition in each area. 

I would say this is a good indicator to see if they are successful or not. Areas that have much competition may fight each other and take some out, and areas, where one or two stores have a monopoly on sales of a product, can boost sales at these stores because of no other choices. But Kmart has tricked me in this area. When Kmart has made several rounds of store closures or when I go across the country or the state of California, I expect them to close in areas where Walmart and Target have come in and stole their business and expect them to stay open where the competitors haven't come to. I expect the stores they keep open to be bustling with customers as many of these have been in towns where they were the only game in town for the discount department store world. Maybe even expanding their stores and refreshing them to cater to changing demands. Towns in California such as Bishop, Grass Valley, Big Bear Lake, Coalinga, Taft, South Lake Tahoe, and Blythe, where Kmart has been the only game in town. I would call them the wheat of Kmart's empire. But surprisingly, all these locations have closed and only 3 Kmarts remain on the mainland United States (Westwood, New Jersey, Bridgehampton, New York, and Miami, Florida) and 6 operate in the US Territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands). Why?? I understand why they closed in the town I live in because it is near a Walmart and has been struggling for years, but these towns don't have that problem. Albertson's left our local area several years ago and the company who bought the local stores, Save Mart, has closed several stores. But both Albertson's and Save Mart have stayed open and even expanded the stores they currently operate to keep up with the times. Save Mart closed in Folsom, California, and became a Dick's Sporting Goods, but Save Mart remains open in Placerville with 2 locations which both received a remodel. Ray's Food Place in Northwestern California and Southern Oregon has managed to stay open in the towns as many of these towns have one grocery store or one of two options. But why couldn't Kmart do the same with these stores? Why couldn't they operate like they were Walmart or Target in these towns? How is it that both Folsom and Roseville, California can have Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Costco, Sam's Club, and several other stores, and all of them still manage to succeed, but many of these towns that resisted Walmart and still had Kmart still lost their Kmart? Can a place live forever just because they are the only game in town, or do they often succumb to the newer competition that comes along regardless of their status? Overall, this method is a mixed bag. Even though Kmart has tripped me in this area, this method can be true. There are examples in which grocery stores and department stores perform much better when there isn't as much cannibalism between businesses. Kmart in Grass Valley was one of Kmart's most profitable stores because of the lack of competition and they closed not because of the location's underperformance, but because they proved to Target that they could still do well regardless of how bad Sears and Kmart are doing as a whole. Target is now working on opening a store in their place. But I notice that having competition can also provide pressure to help make these stores better and more efficient in their operations. It can help them become more resilient to outside forces and more relevant in their selection to the customer. 

     From researching these methods, I have grown in my understanding of how the business world works and where different stores are likely to succeed. But I have also understood that it is much more than just remodels, location, population radiuses, or even how prevalent competition is to determine the health of retail locations. It is also about relevancy, usefulness, customer service, quality, and the experience the business provides that helps businesses succeed. Most of all, it is important for them to be making a profit and have more equity than debt. Maybe having no debt, as Dave Ramsey emphasizes on his radio show about personal finances, can help a business succeed. But there is some use to these formulas in the business world and that this is a framework to understanding where businesses are most likely to succeed. Do you think these methods I listed are accurate and useful tools in understanding the business world? 

3.       Here's a bible verse I believe fits with the retail world:

               The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sows good seed in his field (building a successful retail empire), but while his men were sleeping the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat (overbuilding store locations and cannibalizing sales from existing locations) and went away...Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned (closing of unprofitable/underperforming store locations), but gather the wheat into my barn (focusing on the most profitable store locations)." 

                                                                                                                   Matthew 13:24-25; 30. 

B

Craving falafels? This new Folsom restaurant may be for you!!

 

Have you been craving falafels, gyros, pitas or anything Mediterranean, but don't want to drive far away?? Well, this post may be for you. Falafel Corner has just opened its 11th restaurant in the city of Folsom. More convenient news, the restaurant is in the area of Folsom closer and more familiar to El Dorado County residents, in the Broadstone Plaza Shopping Center where World Market, Ross, Michaels, and Home Depot reside. The restaurant is located in the former Quiznos Subs/former Subway space in the area with Cold Stone Creamery, Aloha Sushi, Jamba Juice, and Round Table Pizza having their restaurants.

This news gets even better. The falafels here are delicious!! The sign saying they are the best falafels in the state has lived up to its name, at least in my exprience. I don't believe I have tasted a better falafel in my experience of eating at Mediterranean restaurants, at least not yet. Correct me if I am wrong.

  We started going to the Granite Bay and Pleasant Grove locations in Roseville when our family discovered their delicious falafels in October of 2021 at the Granite Bay location as they were the closest ones to our house before this location opened. This is why this new business is one our family has been excited about ever since I first saw the coming soon sign on this location, ironically, on the same day we first discovered them in Granite Bay. If you aren't as big of a fan of falafels but love meat dishes, you would also enjoy this place, as we love ordering and eating the chicken platter alongside the falafels all the times we have eaten there.

 Falafel Corner opened this location in April of this year and recently had its grand opening on June 25th, which I happened to be at, unintentionally and intentionally. Unintentionally because I didn't know the grand opening was taking place then, but intentionally because my family and I wanted to eat there for dinner. I have already eaten there a couple of times before their grand opening, and we have been pleased both times, as much as at the Roseville locations. If you ever visit Falafel Corner, I hope your experience will be as pleasant as those written in the post and the delicious meals our family has eaten here so far. 

Falafel Corner offers their customers: 

Platters-Falafel, Gyro, Chicken, and Greek Salad

Wraps-Chicken, Falafel, and Gyro

Burgers

Pizza

Here's their website for more details about this restaurant: Falafel Corner -Mediterranean With a Twist! Healthy | Fresh (fcorner.com)

   

          For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.                                 

                                                                                                               John 3:16.

                                      Thank You for reading my blogpost and God bless!!

Dancing with the Dinosaurs: renting videos from the few remaining Video stores

 

           As Stephen Curtis Chapman sings in Dancing with the Dinosaur about living his life with conscience and conviction, this song may be playing in an environment much rarer in today's world, the last remaining video stores. Some of you may not know of any that still exist, and many areas don't have a video store nearby. This naturally leads to the question, "Where can I still rent videos at a video store?" This sounds like a very interesting question, because I believe not many of you have been asking this question. There have been many ways this need has been replaced, such as streaming on the Internet for movies and shows and going to Redbox to rent DVDs. Even if you still like watching movies on a physical format, many of the DVDs and VHS tapes are now sold at thrift stores, yard sales, on the internet on Amazon and Ebay, and at different book and record stores, such as Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, FYE, or any independent book or record store that sells movies. Plus, there are video rentals at many libraries across the country. This is why the industry has been rendered obsolete with the chain places all going under and the only ones in existence are independently owned places. Even then, the competition in this industry has forced many of these independently owned stores to go under. So why would you still rent movies at a video store? 

             Why am I even writing this list about an activity that has become largely irrelevant in the 21st century?  Even though I haven't rented movies from a video store since 2008, I often do visit the movies section at the local thrift store to search for movies and own an old TV, which I got for Christmas a couple years ago, with a DVD/VCR combo to watch old movies on. For this reason, even though I haven't rented from a video store in years or even lived near an active video store, I do believe it is cool to hear of some that do exist. Some of the first stores I saw close that I enjoyed going to, were video stores. This was hard to see, but I understand with new technology coming in and it being replaced by a new and more efficient way. But it is cool to see a remnant from a different time era that is still operating, and I do want to see them keep going for this reason. I believe that some of you may want to relive the nostalgia of growing up with visiting these places. Maybe you are a child who was intrigued from hearing your parents mention their experiences at the old-time video store and may want to relive it yourself, sort of like the experience of going back in time (Hayden's Business Blog: Hungry for tacos? There's a new restaurant in Folsom that is opening soon that will help fill your hunger. (haydenbusinessblog.blogspot.com). Maybe your interest in this field has sparked since you have heard in the news about there being a Blockbuster still in business in Bend, Oregon. Maybe you want to hear about more video stores that are still open and operating.

     I created this list because, sadly, there aren't really any good lists of active video stores on the Internet.  I felt like I needed to fill a void in Here is the list that I have come up with that has much of this information. 

Remaining Video Rental Stores still in business:

Alabama: 2 open video stores

Toad Frog Alley Video and Tanning, Cleveland, AL-Open

Video Hut, Centre, AL-Open, but don't do movie rentals. 

West Side Video, Athens, AL-Open

Alaska: 2 open video stores

ETZ Video, Fairbanks, AK- Google lists them as closed, but can't find any indication that they closed on other sources.

Video City, Anchorage, AK-Open

Rainbow Video, Anchorage, AK-Open

Arizona: 6 open video stores

Casa Video, Tucson, AZ- Open

Superstar Video, Glendale, AZ- Open

The House of Used Movies/Games/Music, Mesa, AZ- Open

Rodeo Video, Snowflake, AZ-Open

Show Business, Prescott, AZ- Open

The Dome, Show Low, AZ- Open, but doesn't rent videos anymore.

Video Plus, Kayenta, AZ-Open, in Navajo Nation.

Arkansas: 5 open video stores

Lepanto Video, Lepanto, AR

Movie Town, Fort Smith, AR-2 locations-US 71-inside HobbyTown USA, and Phoenix-both closing, which will be another loss for this town along with my great grandmother had just passed on to glory a month ago. 

Movie Town, Van Buren, AR-Closed in 2021

Ozark Video, Mountain View, AR-Open

Premiere Video, Pocahontas, AR-Open

Premiere Video, Warren, AR

Video Playhouse, Corning AR-Open

California: 48 open video stores

ALEX Video, Los Angeles, CA-recently closed

Azteca Video, Chico, CA-Open

Beach Street Video, Watsonville, CA-Open

Bette's Flicks, San Anselmo, CA-Open

Bizarro World, Davis, CA-Open

Broadway Video, Long Beach, CA-Open

Bronco Video, Anaheim, CA-Open

Captain Video, San Mateo, CA-Open

Carol's Video and Mini Mart, National City, CA-Open

CineFile, Los Angeles, CA- Open

Diego's Video, Lake Forest, CA-Open

Diego's Video, San Juan Capistrano, CA-Open

DVD to Go, Scotts Valley, CA-Open

Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee, North Hollywood, CA-Closed, but might reopen as the collection has been passed to a new owner who wants to open a video store. 

Fayes, San Francisco, CA-Open, mainly a coffee shop, but does have movie rentals.

Figueiredo's Videos More, Fort Bragg, CA-Open

Game and Video, Los Angeles, CA-Open

Go Video, Los Angeles, CA-Open

Hillmar Video and Cellular, Hillmar, CA-Open

Joe's Video, Santa Rosa, CA-Open

L&L Video, Sacramento, CA-Open

La Dolce Video, Arcata, CA-Open

Max Video, Norwalk, CA-Open

Mega Video, Dinuba, CA-Open

Mountain Top Video, Fraizer Park, CA-Open

Nevada City Video, Nevada City, CA-Open

Paradise Video, Ivanhoe, CA-Not sure if open or closed??

Pine Grove Video, Pine Grove, CA-Open, but has been liquidating inventory, may be for sale. 

Planet Video, Escalon, CA-Open

Salzer's Video, Ventura, CA (Closed in 2021)

Snowline Video, Pollock Pines, CA-Not sure if open or closed?? If it is open, it would be the closest video store to where I live.

Spotlight Video, Eureka, CA-Open

Spotlight Video, Fortuna, CA-Open

Video Busters, Brownsville, CA-Open

Video Club, National City, CA-Open

Video Depot, Santa Clarita, CA- Open

Video 1, Modesto, CA-Open

Video 1, Baldwin Park, CA-Open

Video Plus, Riverside, CA-Open

Video Express, Maywood, CA-Open

Video Factory, Alameda, CA-Open

Video Hut, Canoga Park, CA-Open

Video King, Bellflower, CA-Open

Video Mex, Porterville, CA-Open

Video Paradiso, Claremont, CA-Open, moved to Montclair along with Rhinos Records

Video Room, Oakland, CA-Open

Video Sky, Santa Ana, CA-(Closed in 2021)

Video Stage, Canoga Park, CA-Open

Video Storm, Whittier, CA-Open

Videotheque, South Pasadena, CA-Open

Video USA Smoke Shop, Baldwin Park, CA-Open

Video Wave of Noe Valley, San Francisco, CA-Open

Vidiots, Los Angeles, CA-Opening in 2022

Westside Video, Santa Cruz, CA-Open

WHAMMY!, Los Angeles, CA-Open, a brand-new video store, a surprise in today's economy. 

YoYo Video, Montebello, CA-has been open off and on

Colorado: 5 open video stores that aren't closing

EntertainMart, Colorado Springs, CO-Open

Front Row Seat, Cortez, CO-Closing

Gorehound's Playground, Fort Collins, CO-Open

Norms Video and Arcade, Calhan, CO-Open

Paperback Trading Post, Walsenberg, CO-Open

Video Video/Amazing Discount Shop, Aurora, CO-Open

Connecticut: 2 open video stores

Best Video Film and Cultural Center, Hamden, CT-Open

Critic's Choice Video, Stamford, CT-Open

Florida: 7 open video stores

Cap City Video Lounge, Tallahassee, FL-Open

Game On Movies and Games, Largo, FL-Open

Video Heat, Orlando, FL-Open

Video News, Leesburg, FL-Open

Viper Video, Tampa, FL-Open

West Video, Hialeah, FL

Yanelis Video, Hialeah, FL-Open

Georgia: 6 stores

Media Mania, Stockbridge, GA-Open

Mountain Video, Jasper, GA

Prime Time Video and Tanning, Baxley, GA-Open

Prime Time Video and Tanning, Hazlehurst, GA-Open

Video Bazaar, Milledgeville, GA-Open

Videodrome, Atlanta, GA-Open

Hawaii: 

Mountain View Village Video, Mountain View, HI

Idaho: 6 open video stores

CWC Video, Malad City, ID-Open

Flicks, Boise, ID-Open

MPS Electronics, Mountain Home, ID-Open

Video Theater, Couer d Alene, ID-Open

Video Theater, Post Falls, ID- Open

Video Stop, Pocatello, ID-Open

Illinois: 6 open video stores

AJ  Video, Jonesboro, IL-Open

City Video, Mason City, IL-Open

Express Video, Skokie, IL

Facets, Chicago, IL- Open, also a theater

Mokena Video, Mokena, IL-Open

Video Playground, Chicago, IL-Open

Video Strip, Chicago, IL-Open

Indiana: 2 open video stores

Hometown Video, Brookville, IN-Open

Vulture Video, Bloomington, IN-Open

Iowa: 

Games XP Decorah, Decorah, IA-Open

Kansas:  

Vintage Stock-5 stores in Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita areas.

Kentucky: 5 open video stores

Box Office Video, Edmonton, KY-Open

Ted's Corner, Frankfort, KY-Open

Movie Vault, Lawrenceburg, KY-Open

Star Trax Video and Tanning, Owensboro, KY-Open

Hollywood Video and Pizza, Williamsburg, KY-Open

Louisiana:

National Video Superstore, West Monroe, LA-Open-, has 35,000 movie titles. It is in the town Duck Dynasty took place in and where the Robertson Family resides. I wonder if Uncle Si still rents movies from this store since he likes watching old video tapes, especially Air Bud. (Duck Dynasty: Si Gets Sick (S5, E1) | Full Episode - Bing video).

Maine: 2 open video stores

Opera House Video, Belfast, ME-Open

Queen City Cinema Club, Bangor, ME-Open

Maryland: 3 open video stores

Beyond Video, Baltimore, MD-Open, has 25,000 movie titles. 

Video 95, Hyattsville, MD- Open

Video Biz, Hancock, MD-Open

Massachusetts: 5 open video stores

East Street Video, Pittsfield, MA- Open

Kung Fu Video and DVD, Boston, MA- Open

Movie Town Home Video Center, Indian Orchard, MA- Open

The VU, Jamacia Plain, MA-Open, also a coffee shop.

Video Signals, Maynard, MA- Open

Michigan: 8 open video stores

Hometown Video, Hartford, MI- Open

Lightning Video, Detroit, MI-Open

Movieland Video, Powers, MI

Planet Video, Chesaning, MI-Open

Real Video, Sandusky, MI- Open

Video Exclusive, Dearborn Heights, MI- Open

Videomation, Cass City, MI- Open

Vidiots, Grand Rapids, MI-Open, but I'm not sure their movie collection is for rent. 

Minnesota: 5 open video stores

8th Street Video on 47th Ave, Duluth, MN-Open

Variety Video, Eveleth, MN-Open

Video Universe, Minneapolis, MN-Open

Movies Etc., St Cloud, MN-Open

Wells Family Video, Wells, MN

Mississippi: 3 open video stores

Discount Video, Louisville, MS-Open

Jack's Movie Shack, Laurel, MS-Open

Video News, Magee, MS- Didn't find enough information whether it is open or closed.

Missouri: 2 open traditional video stores, plus the video section at Vintage Stock

Hometown Video, Lebanon, MO-Open

Nickelflix, St Louis, MO-Open, doesn't do video rentals, but prices are only $2 dollars for DVDs and $4 for Blu Rays. No VHS tapes. 

Route 66 Video, Cape Girardeau, MO

Starlite Video, Holden, MO- Didn't find enough information whether it is open or closed.

Vintage Stock- has 17 stores across the state. 

Montana- 3 open video stores that aren't closing

Dillon Video, Dillion, MT-Open

Hollywood Video, Helena, MT-Open

Mikes Movies and More, Great Falls, MT-Closing

Movie Lovers, Bozeman, MT-currently closed, but there are plans to reopen at some point.

Park Plaza Video, Anaconda, MT-Open

Nebraska: 2 open video stores

Chris Logan's Call Video, Norfolk, NE- Open, has 33,000 movie titles. 

Movie Place Video, Seward, NE-Open

Nevada-2 open video stores

Video World, Yerington, NV-Open

Video King, Reno, NV-Open

New Hampshire

Your Movie Warehouse, Wolfeboro, NH-Open, you can buy movies, but I'm not sure you can rent any. 

DPS Computer Service and Video Rental, Campton, NH-Open

New Jersey:

Bandit Video, Sicklerville, NJ-Open

Manilo's Video, Vineland, NJ

New Mexico: 9 open video stores

DVD Plus, Albuquerque, NM-Open

Film Festival at Home, Los Alamos, NM-Open

Front Row Seat, Bloomfield, NM- heard they closed, but can't find any official information.

Front Row Seat, Farmington, NM- heard they're closing, but can't find any official information.

Front Row Seat, Gallup, NM- heard they're closing, but can't find any official information.

Front Row Seat, Kirtland, NM

Gabe's Movie Time, Thoreau, NM

Video Library, Santa Fe, NM-Open, has 16,000 movie titles.

Video Casa, Taos, NM-Open

Video Shack, Shiprock, NM-Open

Video Shack, Socorro, NM-Open

New York: 8 open video stores

Film Noir Cinema, Brooklyn, NY-Open

HQ Video, New York, NY-Open, has mostly Japanese Movies

Kim's Video Underground, New York, NY- Open, just opened in April of 2022. Inside Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

Madrid Video, Brooklyn, NY-Open

Majors Records and Video, Staten Island, NY-Open

Video Visions, Chatham, NY -Open, has 22,000 movie titles.

Video Vortex-Brooklyn, NY-Open, inside Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Village Mall Video, Webster, NY

North Carolina: 5 open video stores

Big Video Outlet, Rutherfordton, NC-Open

Flick Video, Marion, NC-(Closed in 2021)

Flick Video, Spruce Pine, NC-(Closed in 2021)

Orbit DVD, Asheville, NC-Open

Showtime Video, Walnut Cove, NC-Open

Video Vortex, Raleigh, NC-Open

VisArt Video, Charlotte, NC-Open, has 35,000 movie titles

North Dakota:

DisKonnect, Watford City,  ND-Open

Wahpeton Video, Wahpeton, ND-Open, not sure they still do video rentals as their main business focus is being a deli and a market, which they recently remodeled. So, they may or may not still do movie rentals.

Ohio:

Bryan's Video Trader, Heath, OH-Open, I don't think they do rentals, but do have large selection of movies. 

Clines Video Rental, Martins Ferry, OH-Open

Coreno's Video, Cleveland, OH-Open

In Home Video, Parma, OH

Oklahoma: 6 open traditional video stores, plus the rentals at Vintage Stock. 

2001 Video, Hobart, OK

Discount Video and Guns, Pauls Valley, OK-Open

Eagle Video Rental, Sayre, OK

MovieTown, Stillwell, OK-Open

Pizza Place and Video Zone, Clayton, OK-Open

Reel Deal Video Store, Del City, OK-Open

Rent A Flick Video, Checotah, OK

Vintage Stock, has 13 locations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas.

Oregon: 22 open video stores

Abraxas Video Rental, Cottage Grove, OR-Open- has 55,000 movie rentals-DVDs, Blu Ray Discs, and VHS Tapes

Bandon Video, Bandon, OR-Open

Blockbuster Video, Bend, OR- Open. Has DVD, Blu Ray, and a small selection of VHS tapes. 

Brownsville Video, Brownsville, OR-Open

Empire Video, Creswell, OR-Open

Great American Video and Espresso, Milwaukie, OR-Open

John Day Video Shoppe, John Day, OR-Open

Just in Video, Gresham, OR-Open

Just in Video, Estacada, OR-Open

Media Mogul, Lincoln City, OR-Open

Movie Madness Video, Portland, OR-Open, has 80,000 movie titles. DVDs, Blu Rays, and VHS. 

Mr. Video, Keizer, OR-Open, they are needing a new home though.  has 25,000 movie titles. DVDs and Blu Rays, no VHS movies. 

Mr. TV Video, Pendleton, OR-Open

Peanut Gallery, La Grande, OR (Closed in 2021)

Reel Hollywood Video, McMinnville, OR-Open

Umpqua Video, Roseburg, OR

Universal Video, Seaside, OR-Open, has DVD, Blu Ray, and VHS rentals.

Video Horizons, Astoria, OR-Open, has 35,000 movie titles. Has DVD, Blu Ray, and VHS rentals. 

Video Hut, Prineville, OR-Open

Video Wave, Reedsport, OR-Open

Video World, Grants Pass, OR-Open, has DVD, Blu Ray, and VHS rentals.

We-B Video, Oakridge, OR-Open

Ya-Hots Video Country Store, Yachats, OR-Open

Pennsylvania: 

Arizona Video, Pottsville, PA- Open, I'm not sure they do rentals, but you can definitely buy movies from this store.

Film Fest Video, North East, PA

L&D Video, Grindstone, PA-Open

Jack's Discount Video, Millvale, PA-Open

M&T Video and Games, Shamokin, PA-Open

Oil City Movie Stop, Oil City, PA-Open

Video Bonanza, Quakertown, PA-Open, I'm not sure they do rentals, but you can definitely buy movies from this store.

Video Haven, Somerset, PA-Open

Videos n More, Mifflintown, PA

South Carolina: 2 open video stores

Main Attraction Video, Blacksburg, SC-Closing

Movie Mania, Clover, SC-Open

Video Warehouse, Beaufort, SC-Open

South Dakota: 1 open video store

Movie Mania, Pierre, SD-Open

Tennessee: 10 open video stores

Black Lodge, Memphis, TN-Open

Little Mountain Video, Pikeville, TN-Open

Movie Depot, Spring City, TN-Open

Northside Video, McMinnville, TN-Open

Video Corner and Tanning, Lafayette, TN-Open

Video Quest, Carthage, TN-Open

Video Stop, Somerville, TN-Open

Video Store, Lewisburg, TN-Open

Video Villa, Mt. Pleasant, TN-Open

Video Village, Lawrenceburg, TN-Open

Texas: 29 open video stores

Action Video, San Benito, TX-Open

EntertainMart- 5 locations in Kerrville, Midland, Tyler, Wichita Falls, Waco, Abilene, and Longview

Good Time Video, Naples, TX-Open

Hit Video Rental, Baytown, TX-Open

Movie Night, Mission, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Allen, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Arlington, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Belt Line, Dallas, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Greenville, Dallas, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Camp Wisdom, Dallas, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Denton, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Fort Worth, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Frisco, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Garland, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Hurst, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Irving, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, Lewisville, TX-Open

Movie Trading Company, McKinney, TX-Open

On Video Movie Rental, Baird Farm, Arlington, TX-Open

On Video Movie Rental, Park Springs, Arlington, TX-Open

South East Texas Video, Kountzke, TX-Open

Turnaround Video, Killeen, TX-Open

Video Latino, Irving, TX

Video Station Superstore, Taylor, TX-Open

Video Super, Austin, TX-Open

Utah: 2 open video stores, plus 2 entertainment stores that have video rentals

EntertainMart has 2 stores-in Layton and Ogden-both Open

Top Hat Video, Bountiful, UT-Open

Tower Video, Salt Lake City, UT- still in business, but currently closed due to renovations on the movie theater which it is a part of.

Vermont: 

Nancy's Video, Irasburg, VT

Virginia:

Dollar Video, Fairfax, VA

Keysville Video Rental, Keysville, VA

Ko Video, Richmond, VA-Open

Reclaim Video, Fredericksburg, VA-Open

Naro Video, Norfolk, VA-even though they have closed their doors, they have donated their 42,000 movie titles to the Old Dominion University's library where it will be made visible once again to the public.

Washington: 5 open video stores

Early Birds DVDs, Spokane Valley, WA-Open, inside Pine Street Market

Everyone's Video and More, Raymond, WA-Open

Film is Truth 24 Times A Second, Bellingham, WA-recently closed a month ago, collection has been donated as a whole to a local nonprofit to maybe reopen a similar venture. 

Jim's Video, Kettle Falls, WA- Google lists them as temporarily closed.

Reckless Video, Seattle, WA-Closed in 2021

Scarecrow Video, Seattle, WA- Open, has the world's largest video library with 132,000 titles. 

The Video Store, Cathlamet, WA-Open

St Jacks Video, Wapato, WA-Open

West Virginia: 3 open video stores

D&J Movie Rentals, Montgomery, WV-Open

Movie Man, Charleston, WV-Open, also a tanning salon

Video Magic and Tanning, Moorefield, WV-Open

Wisconsin: 4 open video stores

Four Star Video Rental, Madison, WI-Open

Riverwest Film and Video, Milwaukee, WI-Open

Vanguard Video 2, Oconomowoc, WI-Open

Video N Game Gallery, Elkhorn, WI-recently closed 

Video Vision, Superior, WI-Open

Total in the United States: 255 open video rental stores. 

    The question that I have is, how are these places still making it?? It is really cool to see or hear about video stores that are still operating. But how do they make it?? Streaming has become much more convenient for the average person as you can search for any movie with a click of a button, instead of driving a few minutes to the closest video rental store to spend ten minutes to search for videos and then drive back home to watch them. Redbox is also inside grocery stores, so you can accomplish two errands in one building rather than going to two different places. So, they lose on the convenience end. On the prices, Redbox tends to be the cheapest of the options, and streaming, when it is free. But the library tends to be reasonable in their prices for rentals also. This could be an argument for them to be cheaper, but the library is run by the government, which subsidizes the costs of operation through taxes and fees, which could be the reason why they are cheaper in many cases.  This may not be a feasible option for a video store in order to be profitable. But as I was researching this subject, I noticed that many of these stores are not for profit entities anymore but operate as a nonprofit video library for the arts community. Scarecrow Video in Seattle, Washington, Movie Madness Video in Portland, Oregon, and Vidiots in Los Angeles, California are the most well-known examples of this method of operation. They weren't operating as mere outliers who could miraculously survive in the Redbox and Netflix world without any change. These places have needed to change in order to survive. Some have moved to become nonprofits, some have moved to doing other things in their business along with having video rentals such as tanning, mail service, and selling wireless phones, some have become a tourist attraction, and others operate because their owner remains committed to the business even as it loses money and then retires after he is done. But there are things that unite these examples which help these places survive. I believe these are 1. loyalty, 2. a sense of community, 3. the nostalgia associated with these businesses, and 4. in some areas, but not many, poor internet access in an area. Loyalty because even if people have moved on to the new way of things, they may still rent from a video store if they really like the service or if they are close friends with the owner. This is the case with most local businesses and is not necessarily limited to just video stores.  A sense of community because some of these stores have different events where movie lovers can gather and discuss their favorite movies, which Redbox and Netflix don't have. Nostalgia because they were a significant part of life in the 1980s, 90s, and early and mid 2000s and many may want to relive this experience they had because it brings them to their childhood or a happy place in their life. They could survive because the internet access is bad in an area, as Blockbuster Video in Alaska was able to do for a while (https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2017/07/30/in-alaska-pricey-internet-and-nostalgia-keep-video-stores-alive/). But it isn't necessarily a strong one because they did end up closing those stores and only three video stores remain in Alaska to my knowledge. 

    I was honestly surprised at where all these video stores still remain, because I thought all of them were in these small mountain or farm towns where Internet access isn't the greatest. I would have expected areas such as Barrow, Alaska, Alturas, California, Salmon, Idaho, Blanding, Utah, much of West Virginia, and other small towns to be the ones to have these Methuselah's of the world. But I noticed many of these video stores still open and thriving are in big cities, such as Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, and other cities, which have great internet access and are usually forward with the times. There are some that hang on in small mountain towns, such as Nevada City Video, Pine Grove Video, Nancy's Video, and Mountain Top Video. But these have usually been hanging on by the thread or survive because the owner remains committed to keep it open until he or she retires. Even with poor internet access, many of these places have Redbox kiosks, public libraries to rent videos from, and Netflix does have the DVD by mail service.

    These are my findings and my thoughts about the video store industry, and I hope that you enjoyed what you saw and that you might be motivated to research the subject on your own!! Speaking of this, for anyone who still owns a VCR, does anyone know what the best way is to clean the VCR heads??  I have taken a hiatus with using the VCR for a year now as it ate a couple tapes, and I would like to clean the heads so it could work properly for me to use again.

         This is a picture of the fictional video store, called Methuselah Video, that I drew. It is a lighthearted representation of the last remaining video stores that have outlived the industry. It is called Methuselah's because as many of these stores outlived the industry, Methuselah lived to be 969 years old, longer than any other man who has ever lived. I have the Disney Cars shopping here as I have Methuselah represented as a 1969 Pontiac GTO, who is Mater's Dad in my Cars story. 

    Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.   

                                                                                                                           1 Timothy 6:12