Video rental stores are closing everywhere, but not in Hay River

Al Phillips loves how strangers react to his store.

"They're like 'What? No way,'" he says about when people discover the 1,000 videos he has for rent, including dozens of new releases.

Phillips owns and operates the Right Stop Convenience store on a side street off of the main drag in Hay River, N.W.T.

It's not just movies he offers. Phillips and his wife serve poutine and made-to-order sandwiches from a kitchen in the back. They also stock a limited supply of household goods, like cleaning fluid and toilet paper.

"The day of the dedicated video store is over," he said.

At one time, Phillips had several competitors. Now it's just him and the library down the street. While the library's selection is not as big or current, it's free.

Phillips has been in the video-rental business for 15 years.

Right Stop Convenience may be a novelty for visitors to Hay River, but it's an established source of snacks and entertainment in the town of 3,500 residents.

Video stores have been closing across the country for years. At first, big box outlets drove mom-and-pop stores like Phillips' out of business.

Then those outlets folded, unable to compete with online streaming services like Netflix, which offers thousands of movies and TV shows subscribers can watch from the convenience of home, or wherever there is internet.

It's a treasure for our community. A throwback to the past. We are very lucky to have it.- Peter Magill

It's no different in the North.

But Phillips has found a way to succeed where others have not. He's never had to compete with chains like Blockbuster, and the sandwich bar and convenience store keep the cash flowing.  

Phillips also said people appreciate the human contact that comes with a bricks-and-mortar store, especially on Friday nights during his two-for-one special on children's movies.

"People are coming in and shopping in a store with their family and getting something together, doing something together. That's why we've survived. Plus there is a dedicated group that rents movies." 

Peter Magill belongs to that loyal following. Magill rents videos several times a week because he said online streaming is expensive, and data overage fees can be prohibitive.

With renting movies, there's never an issue with limited bandwidth or poor connectivity, he said.

Besides, Magill said, having one of the only video stores in the Northwest Territories makes Hay River unique.

"It's a treasure for our community. A throwback to the past. We are very lucky to have it," Magill said.

It's also convenient for customers who don't have internet — whether due to cost or because a parent is making a point.

"Right now, we don't have internet," said 17-year-old Alysson Capulso. "My dad cut it off because [my sisters and I] were using it too much.

"We try to have a family night as much as possible. We like to watch movies together, so it's very nice to have these movies to rent."

As for Phillips, he has no plans to close any time soon.

"We will stick it out as long as we can," he said, "But ultimately we are supported by the residents of Hay River. They will decide if video rentals will still be a part of their entertainment choices."