Trading Places: Local Video Stores Make Strategic Changes

Renting movies to view at home has been a popular entertainment option for families on a budget for decades.

But to stay alive in a highly competitive business, a number of movie rental shops in St. Clair Shores have been making moves to help their bottom line and better serve customers.

 recently opened its second store in St. Clair Shores on Greater Mack at Alger.

The video chain, which has about 740 stores in 18 states and more than 100 stores in Michigan, bought the building earlier this year where Mammoth Video had been located.

District manager Dan White said the company jumped at the opportunity to add another store when the site became available.

White said the corner location near a residential area is ideal. He described the new store as slightly larger than average with an inventory of more than 5,000 titles.

"It's right in the neighborhood and close to the people. … It's a terrific location," White said. "It's mainly by word-of-mouth that we grow our business."

White said a hallmark of the chain is competitive prices with free rentals for kids and many $1 and two-for-a-dollar rentals for non-new titles.

recently moved from its longtime site at Harper at 13 Mile in the CVS Plaza to a nearby location in the next plaza over, at 31334 Harper. Owner Sandy Zielke confirmed the change but declined an interview.

Meanwhile continues to serve its loyal customer base from its new location at 22604 Greater Mack, which is about a half-mile from its previous site. 

Karen Romita-Densteadt, who co-owns the store along with Arthur Rumptz, said a steep rent increase prompted the decision to move from its location of nearly 30 years.

She and her partner are still working to make sure all of the store's longtime customers are aware of Mammoth Video's new address, but Romita-Densteadt said things are going reasonably well.

"We've had our ups and downs, our slow days and our busy days," she said.

Movie fans who still want to add to their library of VHS format movie may want to check out the mom-and-pop style store. The site has numerous titles available for purchase for as low as 75 cents per title. Mammoth also offers a selection of action figures, comic magazines and battery-operated action toys at budget prices.

"We care more about the customer," Romita-Densteadt said. "We care about their likes and dislikes. If they look for a movie we'll go out of our way to find it. We're not like a corral, 'Get 'em in, get 'em out.'"

It's a focus that seems to click with customers. Shores resident Courtney Arioli, a first-time visitor, was all smiles checking out a battery-animated dinosaur.

"I think it's great. I think the kids are going to like it," she said.