2023-11-26 17:21:00
Stores specializing in DVDs in the center of Namur are now a thing of the past. After fourteen years of activity, Cinéphil Store, the last business of its kind, has announced its closure. “The global economic situation being what it is and despite our determination to maintain itself, we can no longer cope“, we can read in a press release published on social networks.
Since then, the entire store located on rue des Dames Blanches has been in liquidation. Both on stock and furniture, discounts of up to 80% are offered. Enough to please one last time the customers who, over time, turned out to be less fond of DVDs. And this, for the benefit of streaming platforms.
“As soon as these platforms were launched, we noticed that DVD sales were collapsingconfides Olivier Pirard, manager. From 2009 to today, we are at around 80% losses.“
In addition to these new content distributors, there is also competition from Amazon, an American e-commerce giant. Faced with advantageous online prices, it is difficult for a traditional store to compete while assuming significant monthly charges. And this gap has only widened during the Covid crisis.
The end of an era
Today, it seems a long way from the time when the DVD of a US blockbuster might sell for up to 100 pieces at the Cinéphil Store. During this period, multimedia brands (Editor’s note: Video Square, Free Record Shop, ExtraZone, etc.) abounded in the districts of Namur. Faced with the gradual decline of the sector, the store nevertheless managed to resist through the sale of collector’s items and its customer contact. “We were enthusiasts who knew their products and how to sell them. Which is not necessarily the case in a large area.“, explains Olivier Pirard.
Recently, the store had specialized in the sale of manga, comics and even figurines to the detriment of the shelves formerly supplied with DVDs, Blu Rays, etc. A strategic choice to bring color back to a declining economic situation, through a young audience. But their new clientele was not enough to maintain the brand. The fault of the low margins on books in bookstores.
From this commercial adventure, Olivier retains above all the loyalty and satisfaction of his customers. But at present, he would no longer advise an entrepreneur to enter this market in its classic form: “If it has to do this, then it requires luxury or rare-to-find products, centered around old films or series, which can still attract certain customers.“
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