Tommy K’s Video, which for years held off the likes of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video will close one of its largest stores.
The Rt. 1 Branford location, which the company claims had their best inventory for over 20 years, will liquidate its supply of movies and video games.
Tommy K’s had been ranked #1 in the state by the New Haven Advocate for many years. It’s video rental business had been down for the past three years, matching the rest of the retail movie rental industry.
Video Business Writer, Cindy Spielvogel wrote in 2004 that its sell-through business had been up, however, which management credited to increased previously viewed movie sales. That trend means that more movies have been going for sale faster, in line with the fact that they weren’t renting enough in the first place. More and more surplus titles got pulled from the shelves and put for sale.
This practice works with DVD’s which cost rental stores very little, quickly pay for themselves and are often sold used at a profit. VHS was another story, however, because rental VHS videos often cost upwards of $100 and had to be rented out many times to make a profit.