UK's Last Video Shop Celebrates 40 Years

Colin Richards, the owner of TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, Suffolk, is surprised by the continued success of his DVD rental store, 40 years after its inception in 1984. Despite the dominance of streaming services like Netflix, the store maintains a steady customer base, buoyed by its diverse offerings such as stationary sales, DVD repairs, and photocopying services. TVL Allstar Video is believed to be the last video rental shop in the UK, with its survival attributed to diversification and serving as a community hub. Colin, who has retired from daily operations but still visits the store regularly, credits the business's longevity to its large membership base established before the streaming era, emphasizing the importance of community ties and personal interactions. The store's most rented film is 'Forrest Gump', having been borrowed over 2,000 times, and rentals are priced at £2 for a week's duration. Richards emphasizes the importance of community support over profit, stating that as long as the business sustains itself, he is content.