By Galen Eagle
Under constant pressure from aggressive chain-store advertising campaigns such as Blockbuster’s recent “no late fees” gimmick, certain ‘Mom and Pop’ video stores in Ottawa have survived by creating a niche market of hard-to-find videos and onsite expertise.
Wyatt Boyd, co-owner of The Invisible Cinema on Lisgar Street, says his business has no problem competing with the large American chains. In fact, he says stores like Blockbuster can’t compete with him.
“We really think we have the edge,” says Boyd. “We’re not making people slaves to the circuit of basically 50 new titles that are on the wall with the illusion of an entire store’s worth of inventory.”
As the name of the store suggests, The Invisible Cinema specializes in movies not widely available elsewhere. Boyd says while small stores like his cannot stock as many new releases as chain stores, his customers come searching for unique titles and a greater variety.
“Generally, people can find a lot of the better Hollywood new releases that they’re looking for, but we’re not going to have them en masse,” says Boyd.
“We’re confident that, among the 7,000 other titles here, we can distract you with something else. I think the chain stores are not as confident as that, nor should they be, because they’ve been getting rid of a lot of their back catalogue stuff.”
Boyd says that, while he generally caters to a niche market of people looking for rare titles, many of his customers are simply tired of “unfriendly” chain stores.
“We’re now getting a mainstream clientele that might have used to be interested in Blockbuster but they’re kind of recoiling against putting their money into a big American conglomerate,” says Boyd. “They’re tired of being served by a bunch of kids who often don’t know what the hell they’re talking about and not having that old-time ‘mom and pop’ feeling of intimacy.”
Rachel Silva is one of those customers. Once a Blockbuster patron, Silva was charmed by Boyd’s shop after her first visit.
“They’ve stolen my love,” says Silva. “They have a huge selection, it’s independently run and they’re really great at giving suggestions for newer or older movies.”
Robert Lecuyer, owner of Glebe Video International on Bank Street, has been in the video business for 19 years. He says he doesn’t like complaining about the large chain stores.
“They have their clientele and we have our clientele,” says Lecuyer. His business boasts one of the largest selections of international films in the city and is a haven for film students looking for classics. In fact, his store attracts so many film majors, Lecuyer has hired a few.
“You ask me about a film, I’m going to know about it,” says Peter Gray, a fourth-year film student at Carleton University and a four-year employee at the store.
Gray explains how the focus of the store is completely opposite to the large chains.
“Blockbuster’s mandate is to promote new releases, not to maintain a library of films,” says Gray. “Bob’s entire focus is to obtain films other people aren’t going to have. If I’m looking for film noir or something, he’s not going to have four, he’s going to have 20.”
Marryanne Wevver, a regular customer at Glebe Video International, says she was initially attracted by the store’s convenient location, but she kept coming back for the service.
“It’s owner operated and it’s got variety,” says Wevver. “If you need help they’ll look into it and they’re enthusiastic about it. You don’t get that in the chains.”
But independent shops such as The Invisible Cinema and Glebe Video International have become a rarity in the city. While stores such as Rogers Video and Blockbuster have quickly spread throughout the capital, only a handful of specialty stores remain.
Boyd, who has operated out of his Lisgar Street location for five years, admits it’s a competitive business and says if you’re going to make it, you have to offer something different.
“It takes intense specialization, a niche focus and a real passion for film and an ability to supply your clientele with the movies they can’t get anywhere else while also supplying the movies they can get everywhere else.”