Pic-a-Flic Video has announced it will close in September, a few months after being featured for entering its 40th year in business.
In a video posted to Facebook, the owner, Kent Bendall announced the store’s lease is coming to an end.
“I wish I could say I’ve got good news and bad news, but unfortunately, it’s pretty much just bad news,” Bendall said. “For many reasons, obvious and not obvious, at the end of September, Pic-a-Flic Video is going to be done. Our lease is up then and it just can’t continue, unfortunately.”
Bendall bought the business seven years ago after working fifteen years as a sales associate for the iconic store. Bendall says it’s the best job he has ever had in his entire life.
Many movie buffs in Victoria love shopping at the quaint shop for special films like Freeda Nobbs.
“It’s the most amazing place. There’s other films that you get here. There’s foreign films, there’s quirky films, there’s cult films that you just can’t get anywhere else” says Nobbs.
The video store was recently featured in a Globe and Mail article for its 40th anniversary this year and talking about the declining video rental industry.
READ MORE FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Vancouver Island’s last video store plays on for new generations of cinephiles
Through the summer, Bendall says it will be business as usual at the store, and at the end of summer he may have a big sale of the inventory if nobody wants to take over the collection.
“You’ll know more when I know more, but man, thank you all so much for everything,” he said.
Laura Brougham
