The times are changing and the DVD rental market has felt the full brunt of change over the last few years. Now, Sydney's last DVD store will close next month, pulling the curtain down on a 25-year existence in bohemian Bondi Beach. For the locals it is a sad state of affairs, but the owner, John Price, realises the days of the DVD are well and truly numbered. The rise of Video on Demand and streaming, legal and illegal, has devastated the industry.
Price has been involved in the video industry for 35 years, as an owner of Civic Video stores in Sydney. This week he closed the doors on his first store in Sydney, after 35 years, and now he's wrapping up operations at Bondi Beach.
Price is moving into the world of Mixed Martial Arts, opening UFC gyms throughout Australia. Perhaps his career move is also sign of the times. But, for many Australians a trip to the video store was a regular part of their social life. As long time customers and lovers of DVD flock to his store to pick up a bargain, Price remembers the halcyon days of video and DVD, when Rambo rocked a nation and the Karate Kid caused a sensation.