When the heat comes on, there’s no better alternative than to sit inside, close the shades and enjoy a good film. And while there are many movie stores in Eugene to choose from — both independent and corporate — Flicks & Pics sets itself in at least one category: selection.
Located at 28th Avenue and Friendly Street, the video store easily has one of the largest selections of movies in town, with roughly 20,000 VHS tapes and 2,000 DVDs. Renters who can’t find what they’re looking for, be sure to ask — about half of the available videotapes aren’t on display. These include, among other things, television series episodes and older, more obscure, hard-to-find films. The “kids” section of the store also contains video games.
The store was opened in 1983 by Dave Mendonca and has been in his ownership since then. It remained financially successful despite the increasing presence of corporate chains in Eugene over the years — such as Hollywood Video at 29th Avenue and Willamette Street and Blockbuster Video at 18th Avenue. Mendonca attributed this success to location and an emphasis on the store’s wide selection of older releases.
“We appeal to a different kind of customer than they do,” he said. “The people we service are movie aficionados.”
Eric Empens, an employee who has worked at the store for six years, summarized this credo succinctly.
“If you’re looking for anything other than new releases, we’re pretty much the place to go,”
he said.
Flicks & Pics has 90,000 active members, gaining about 100-200 members a month. Member accounts run on a reward-based system. Once the rental total on an account reaches 100, the member receives a coupon for 10 “2 for the price of 1” rentals. 200 rentals equates to 20 “2 for 1” rentals, and so on. Accounts that reach 1,000 rentals receive unlimited “2 for 1” rentals.
Jim Wyant, an employee for seven years, noted that much of the store’s business comes from longtime members.
“About 35 to 40 percent of our customers are 1,000-club members,” he said.
Many of the employees on the staff have worked at the store for multiple years, and Wyant displays this in his treatment of film. He meticulously inspects each DVD for scratches before and after it’s rented. One fallback of this relatively nascent format is that it’s easily prone to damage — even more so than a CD.
Since the store opened, prices haven’t increased. New releases cost $3 and older releases can be picked up for $1 on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the “2 for 1” coupons are valid on dollar days. Most television shows (on either VHS or DVD) cost $1 to rent, but pay-cable television shows — such as “The Sopranos” or “The Larry Sanders Show” — cost $2. The store is open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, and they accept competitors’ coupons.