Video Rental Stores Keeping Pace | Video

Alex Hagan | 12/3/2012

In the past, if you wanted to rent a DVD or video game, your only option was a video store. But movies on demand, Netflix and Redbox have made renting more convenient. But some video stores in Bismarck are still keeping pace.

When people in Bismarck want to rent a movie, they are still heading to video rental stores. Box Office Video has been open since 2004. The family owned business is still a hot spot for movie buffs.

"The people are always so friendly when I come here and they always help me if I need to look for a certain movie," said customer Jannessa Bonnell.

The store now has more than 25,000 accounts and most of them are still active. Store employees say they still get customers that signed up when the store first opened.

"You know them by name when they walk-in and you know what movies they want, what movies they like. It`s just that`s been the best," said manager Janet Mitzel.

Despite competition from online renting like Netflix and kiosks like Redbox, Box Office does have an advantage, employees say they get new releases 28 days before their competitors.

"Batman and the Odd Life of Timothy Green comes out and our competition, Redbox, won`t have those titles so that`s our advantage over them," said owner Kim Wood.

"We`re not Redbox where you stick a card in and get a movie and you go home. We`re all about the experience of coming in and getting a movie together as a family," Mitzel said.

The stores also offer jobs for high school students.

"Sometimes it`s their first job ever and it fits in so well with what we`re trying to do with a family oriented store," Mitzel said.

Some customers get something else out of renting their movies at Box Office Video.

"It`s just like the movie theatre. You kind of get that aspect when you come in here," Bonnell said.

There are three video rental stores in Bismarck apart from Redbox.

Box Office Video sells movies as well as renting them. The store gets new releases every Tuesday.

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