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Premiere Video shuts doors in Fergus Falls
Published Saturday, January 5, 2008
Citing lack of business, Premiere Video, located at 1304 W. Lincoln Ave., closed its doors for good Dec. 31. It had been in the community for about three years, said John Shorba, vice president of operations for United Entertainment Corp, Premiere’s parent company.
The store’s location was not the problem, Shorba said.
“I think we just misjudged the market there a little bit,” he said. “But we appreciate the business we received over the years.”
Customers with Premiere gift certificates can mail them to United Entertainment Corp, P.O. Box 1736, St. Cloud, Minn., 56302, and a full refund will be sent to them, Shorba said.
A recorded message at the Fergus Falls store said games and movies can be deposited in the drop box by the exit door. For questions about accounts, call 998-4030 and leave a message.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by otterfan (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lalabird---no kidding.
Posted by antiquesforsale (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sad indeed - BUT - what did the community do to help this business? Did you frequent them? We live in a small town also and it is a challenge to go to the grocery in town as their prices are higher than the larger chains a few miles away. That is true of the local hardware store - the local movie theater - or any of our downtown locally-owned shops. If the residents don't go there - they go out of business.
So what's the answer - pay more money for the product and retain the business or buy cheaper and let them go.
Posted by TheGUY (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well with SunMart closing it's rental area and Premiere now done.....I guess we know who will be busy.As far as supporting local business,I think most people in town went to all 3.Part of the problem is the movie business itself. Most movies are not worth watching.
Posted by americanwerew31 (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at noon (Suggest removal)
This is really really awful. As soon as Premier opened I became a regular customer. They had the best deals (for my family) and the best environment by far of any of the movie stores. It is sad that Sunmart Video is also closing. Now the ONLY place left in town in the mass retailer that offers no deals, and even less customer service. Monopoly is never good. I am having a major dilemma; my family watches a lot of movies, but I have moral issues with renting from there. I think I'll just have to get Netflix... which sucks, because I truly prefer to put my money back in the community... *sigh* Good luck, movie renting public. *hangs head in dispare*...
Posted by sexmeupmorgan (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 12:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This honestly pissed me off. I have a friend that worked there pretty much since the place open and they gave him 2 days noticed. Pretty much said, "oh, you're getting laid off"... Now he has no job.
Premier Video was actually really good with their prices and they were fair.
It's awful they gave him such short notice and I would think he should be able to fight for it somehow.
Posted by BobWilliams (Bob Williams) on January 5, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Netflix is the way to go.
Posted by mytwocents (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WELL THAN MOVIE GALLERY BETTER LOWER THEIR FRICKEN PRICES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CUZ I'M DEFINITLY NOT A NUMBER ONE FAN OF THERE. PREMIERE VIDEO WAS DA BOMB! I'M HEARTBROKEN
Posted by mytwocents (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HEY NETFLIX THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE THE WAY TO GO! GOOD THINKIN LINKIN! MY FAMILY TOO WATCHES ALOT OF MOVIES. DANG THATS SO SAD
Posted by Norse (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
One might think that with the smoking ban in place, and people buying off-sale then sitting home where they can get blitzed and bonged without "the MAN" telling them what to do(as per the xpertz) the video rental industry would boom.
As for netflix, yeah that fits in with buy local.
Posted by toad3 (anonymous) on January 5, 2008 at 9:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jewelry must sell in Fergus as we have 4 jewelry stores! This is a tough place to figure out. Alexandria is a boom town, go there on a Sat or Sunday and it is crazy with shoppers.
Posted by JohnM (anonymous) on January 6, 2008 at 7:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I usually just read these posts on here for fun but sometimes I just have to make a comment. This is one of those times obviously. So Premiere Video closed it's doors. It is always unfortunate to see a business close but lets all try to display a little common sense when we talk about it. You read some of these posts and all I can assume is the they closed their doors because they were just making way to much money. They had the best deals, best customer service, location was good. So why did they close then? How does the "big, evil, corporate movie place", with horrible customer service and no deals manage to survive? Did they kidnap customers as they tried to walk into the PV or Sunmart? I have rented at all three places and quite honestly I prefer Movie Gallery. The people there have always been very nice to me and the "deals" are fine for me as well. I know it is a personal preference that I feel that way you don't have to explain that.
One final little note..I was under the impression that "local business" had to do with a business operating LOCALLY. However, if you decide to limit the definition of "local business" as some appear to above then NONE of the video rental stores are LOCAL. Not a single one was founded or had it's corporate headquarters in Fergus Falls.
Given the logic I see here sometimes I suppose Premiere was better because it's office was closest...
Posted by username (anonymous) on January 6, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Location, location, location.
Posted by tanker8 (anonymous) on January 7, 2008 at 9:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think Net Flix is killing rental stores.
Posted by zkonedog (anonymous) on January 8, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that this is not a "mom and pop business" issue...
About 15-20 years ago, the video rental business in Fergus Falls was dominated by Skogen's (in the current Movie Gallery location) and Riverfront Video (where I believe Sears now resides on Lincoln Ave).
Riverfront was the first to go under, first moving to the tiny space that is now "Biffley's" on Lincoln Ave. and then closing altogether.
Skogen's made a go of it for a few more years, but was eventually bought out by Total Entertainment Center, a relatively small (but national) rental shop. Within a few more years, TEC was bought out by Movie Gallery, the second largest video rental chain in the U.S. (not counting online rentals).
A few years later, Premiere Video (another large, national chain) try its hand in Fergus Falls and ultimately failed, as Movie Gallery (or at least their location) had the edge in both location and longevity in the community.
While the closing of Premiere Video may anger some, I do not feel it should be portrated as a "small business" succumbing to the "Movie Gallery giant".
The small businesses were run out of town long ago...
Posted by doctipster (anonymous) on January 8, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay so premier bit the dust.
Honestly I didn't really frequent the place. Cost of renting video games was unreal, and movies just didn't make it better. The birthday rental was cool, but you had to get it the day of your birthday where as with Movie Gallery it is anytime a week before or after your birthday and sunmart was anytime during the month of your birthday.
So is it sad to see another business go out of fergus. Nah, with the taxes as high as they are and other rental places around, doesn't make sense for all of them to stay open.
Figured sunmart would bail soon, they sold all their VHS a couple months back just a matter of time.
As far as other businesses. We make it difficult for these small places to operate with our overspending city/county taxes, and our wonderful decision to stick money into a school that has no hope... I'd get the hell out of fergus too, im surprised its only been premire and sign works that have left, I guess Edge sold out so you really can't call that leaving. Wait til the first year or so that people have to start kicking in this school tax levy for 32.5 million. Then see who leaves town in a hurry....
Posted by tanker8 (anonymous) on January 8, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think Net Flix is killing rental stores.
Posted by Lala (anonymous) on January 8, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, I am not too happy with this closing down. My kids just got some gift certificates for Christmas, and they can't even use them. And there is no way in Heck that I will go to the Movie Gallery. They have ripped me off more than once down there. Guess, I'll be sending them in for a refund, and just start going through Netflix.
It's too bad.... another great business shut it's doors!
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