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Life & Arts

Store seeks niche in rental world

by AUSTIN HAVICAN 
The Daily Cougar

Montrose-area residents may have noticed a new independent business that opened next to the post office on Richmond Avenue in December. MOViES is a new DVD and VHS rental store owned and managed by Rob Arcos, a former Landmark Theaters city manager.

When Cactus Music and Video closed in March, Houston's independent DVD rental market was left with a void that could only be filled by Netflix. Cactus offered its customers a wide selection of obscure and discontinued titles that couldn't be found in the local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. The store's closing upset many Houstonians and left most without a place to find the low-budget cult classics Cactus was famous for.

Arcos hopes to fill that void and offer patrons an interesting selection at a convenient location. He doesn't expect to compete with the rental giants and Netflix, but he hopes to develop a status in the community as the go-to guy for rental recommendations and welcomes interaction with his customers. 

In an interview with Montrose Monitor, a podcast and Web site by John Buffington, Arcos said that he appreciates customers spending a few minutes discussing their rental choices.

Although MOViES can't guarantee a stock of 40 copies of a new release, the store does offer other promotions and discounts. For example, Arcos recognizes the addictive nature of television series box sets and gives a discount and extended rental period when customers rent two or more discs at once.

"I know that people aren't going to be driving out here from Katy to visit the store, but judging by how many people live in the area ? in a mile radius there are 14,000 addresses, and 6,000 people go up and down Richmond a day," Arcos said. "From the almost 300 memberships I have, most are people that just drive by the store."

But how is a small, one-store rental company supposed to survive in the wake of downloads and Netflix putting movies in mailboxes? 

Arcos plans to make MOViES another stop in the eclectic near-downtown community with screenings on the store's back patio, trivia and game nights, and even local director spotlights and festivals.

MOViES' retail space used to be a fitness center, which explains the floor to ceiling mirrors on the west wall. The building has a brown interior with concrete floors and a TV on the counter ? Arcos, ever the movie lover, has something playing at all times. The new releases are on a lighted shelf to the left, with the rest of the store's selection on handmade shelves to the right. The far corner has boxes of free movie posters, and the former gym's fitting rooms still occupy the left part of the back wall.

Arcos plans to take the fitting rooms out to free up more room for future ideas: Oscar parties, small theater productions and annual film events. MOViES seems to put more focus on community than making sure people take home DVDs, but Arcos stresses his ideology that pleasing his customers and building relationships with them is what's most important. 

"I want to remind people why it's fun to watch movies," he said. "Not just for the simple sake of a distraction, but for the love of it."

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