THE last standing DVD rental store in Bournemouth is closing after 40 years in business.
Flicks in Charminster Road will close on September 2, after surrendering to the forces of online streaming services like Netflix.
Terry Whitaker, manager at Flicks, has described the closure as the "end of an era".
He believes it to be "the right time to go" after struggling with the additional business pressures of Covid in recent years.
Terry said: "Although we are sad to be closing after a particularly difficult past few years, we have had a good run.
"We managed to outlive Blockbuster so we must have been doing something right.
"Before the pandemic obviously things were slowing down, but we were managing fine, then as each lockdown came things just got worse.
"Technology has changed and lockdown really didn't help that, it meant people got into the habit of staying in and everyone went and signed up for streaming services, so we've become less needed."
Flicks first opened in the mid-1980s in Charminster Road.
Terry added: "I started working here in the mid 90s, just before dial-up internet started to take off.
"I first started working here in 1996, my family took over from the two original owners, Farz and Reza, and have run the store since.
"I'm now going to work for another company that owns this shop, so I'm going to go into the property side of things.
"Before we close, we are selling off all our movies and saying our last goodbyes to our customers.
"We know that we were loved, we have had so many messages and people saying they are sad to see us go.
"I've watched some customers come in as children and now come in with their children over my time here.
"We are a part of many people's lives as they grew up and we always take pride in that.
"It'll be a hard final day, but Charminster has been an absolute blast, we have made great memories and great friends."
The DVD and video rental chain Blockbuster ceased operating in the UK in 2013.
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