Scott Hammond/Stuff
The Warehouse is phasing out the sale of DVDs. In April, the owners of Auckland’s last DVD store, The Video Shop, announced they were closing its doors after a massive drop in interest in renting movies. Massey University senior lecturer in media studies Ian Huffer said the decision by The Warehouse was evidence of the obvious gradual decline of the DVD and Blu-ray industry. “The casual film viewer has already moved largely to streaming and that is only going to continue,” Huffer said. But specialist audiences would remain, he said. “The nature of online streaming is that you have to subscribe, and the inventory is always shifting. You don t own it. For really keen enthusiasts who want to know they can watch their favourite films at any point, they are still going to want to buy DVDs.”
She said the decision to close came down to the numbers. “There just wasn’t enough turnover to keep the staff employed and cover the costs, she said. “I probably would have found a way to keep going if I thought we were out of the Covid-19 situation soon, but I think it s going to go on for quite some time.” Silk said she has mixed feelings about the decision to close. “I have got through most of the drama and the sense of loss and defeat to the point where ok, this is where we’ve got to go.”