Avenue Video
Avenue Video was a video tape, video game and DVD rental shop (formerly a chain) located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
History
Established in 1986, the Avenue Video chain expanded to comprise a number of franchises in the Montreal area. The chain entered the market to fill the demand for VHS cassette rental (fresh from the format's victory with rival format Betamax) for viewing in newly acquired videocassette recorders (VCRs).
The chain suffered throughout the 1990s, however, due to increased competition from competitors such as Blockbuster Video and Superclub Vidéotron, and the decreased profitability of the video rental business. The Avenue Video chain dwindled to just two locations by the end of the decade.
In the summer of 2000, Mike Taylor bought an Avenue Video location and moved its stock from its space on Greene Avenue in Westmount to its current location in the Montreal Island municipality of Montreal West.
By 2003, Mike Taylor began to court the owner of the remaining location on Monkland Avenue in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, district of the Montreal borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. During 2004, he gained majority control over the location and began a renovation of the Avenue Video Monkland location during the summer of 2005.
Due to economic factors the original Montreal West location and the one on Queen Mary ave were shut down in early 2011.
As of September 2013, Avenue Video has one location at 54 Westminster Avenue North in Montreal West after moving from Monkland Avenue.
Community
Avenue Video is more than just a movie rental store. Part of the annual Food & Toy Drive at the end of every year, Avenue Video brings together movie lovers to help the NDG Food Depot. Avenue Video is also part of the initiative to help Monkland Village get SDC status. Mike Taylor is a board member of the Monkland Merchants Association (MMA), a non-profit organization spearheaded by his wife, Kim Fuller. The MMA brings together the merchants, entrepreneurs, business owners etc. of Monkland Village to help support local business.
Avenue Video is also an active sponsor of the "Je m'active à NDG" event and supports the NDG Baseball Association.
Operations
The shops have around 10,000 films and 1,000 TV shows from North America and the U.K. They sell DVD, Xbox, PS2, PS3 and CDs, and sell and buy new and used DVDs, VHS and games.
Former Locations
- Avenue Vidéo Queen Mary, Montréal
- Avenue Vidéo Monkland, Montréal
- Avenue Video Westminster, Montréal-Ouest (original location)