Video Store to Open in Strongsville

Family Video plans to open its ninth northeast Ohio store in Strongsville on Friday.

The video store is moving into 17748 Pearl Rd., in the plaza that also houses  and .

It will be the first video store to operate in Strongsville since , which was at Bennett's Corners, closed in January 2011.

In an era when video stores are being battered by online rentals and Red Box machines, how is Family Video not only staying in business, but expanding?

Several reasons, said Chris Moreland, a district manager -- like customer service, low prices and quick release of new movies.

"We get new releases a month before Netflix and Red Box," Moreland said.

The store is also popular with families for its free kids' movies, thousands of titles available at two for $1, and its free movies every June for earning A's on report cards.

Plus, people still like the experience of browsing at a video store, being able to pick up the DVD cases and read about the movie, said Kristin Skrinyer, district manager for northeast Ohio.

"No matter how many options there are for getting movies, people still want to come in," she said. "Kids can come in and pick their movies while their parents are choosing theirs. It's an experience."

Skrinyer said she has hired six employees so far and hopes to bring on another four.

The store will be open 10 a.m. to midnight 365 days a year. There are about 760 Family Video locations nationwide. Other local sites include Brunswick, Medina, Broadview Heights, Parma and Mentor.