Britain's oldest DVD rental shop still going strong despite Netflix challenge

29 December 2023 , 19:13

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Colin Richards, owner of Britain's oldest DVD rental store (Image: James Linsell-Clark / SWNS)

The oldest DVD rental store in Britain is still going, thanks to film buffs who want to rewind history.

TVL Allstar Video has around 8,500 discs which can be rented out for just £2 a week – or £3.25 a night for a new release.

Colin Richards opened the store in 1984 to lease video tapes to other shops, then started offering DVDs – and business is still booming, despite competition from streaming services.

The 70-year-old said: “A lot of older customers are bringing in their children and grandchildren to give them the experience they had. When you come into the store and pick a movie, you make an effort to sit down and watch it. With streaming, you can easily be distracted.”

The most-rented films are Forrest Gump – which has gone out over 2,000 times – First Blood and Avatar.

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Dad-of-two Colin also offers DVD repairs and a printing service at the store, in Haverhill, Suffolk. Many locals also like to pop in for a chat. Colin said: “I love doing the job.”

Izzy Hawksworth