When Dawn and Peter Chase bought a floundering video store 18 months ago, it didn’t take long for people to realize these new kids on the block were out to bust the competition.
In an era when corporate retailing giants routinely trample over their smaller competitors, the Chases know that the keys to their survival are flexibility and personal service. In fact, one of their customers works at Blockbuster Video, but rents DVD (digital video disks) from the Chases because her employer doesn’t carry this latest technology.
“People say Blockbuster’s sterile, and that’s what we don’t want to be,” Peter Chase said.
When the Chases bought the Mendon,
This came naturally for the Chases who are longtime residents of Mendon, a town of 4,000 about 25 miles southwest of
They renamed their new business “Airport Video” after an airstrip which was located on the site between 1932 and 1952 and hunted up old aerial photographs to hang on the walls. Soon, customers began bringing in their old pictures of local places and people for the Chases to copy and post throughout the store. It’s not uncommon to see people grouped around the photos, scanning them for familiar landmarks and reminiscing about people and times long gone.
They also have a bulletin board filled with snapshots of customers as well as a “local talent,” wall featuring photographs of residents who are in the entertainment business.
The airport theme carries over into the store’s marketing materials. New releases are listed on a “Flight Schedule,” and customers receive “frequent flyer” punchcards. After 10 rentals, the 11th video is free and the card is entered into a drawing for prizes donated by other local businesses. Last summer, the grand prize winner got an airplane ride over town.
Because Mendon has so many young families, Airport Video goes out of its way to welcome children. The Chases keep a supply of inexpensive treats on hand, offer free popcorn on weeknights, free pizza on weekends, and most importantly, learn the names of their young customers. For indecisive parents or spouses, there’s a “customer courtesy phone” with an extra long cord so they can call home and consult with family members before making their final selection.
They also pay attention to their customers’ requests. After doubling their store’s space, the Chases installed a bank of television screens where customers pay $3 per hour to play Nintendo 64 or Sony Play Station games. Recently, a boy asked if he could have his birthday party there. The Chases obliged and thus was born a lucrative side business.
And of course, there’s the movies. Dawn, a diehard film buff since she was a girl, can talk films with the best of them. When she and her husband aren’t at the store, they’re viewing new releases. If someone comes into the store, describes their frame of mind, Dawn says she can tell them which movie will keep them in that mood, which will get them out.
In its 18 months of business, Airport Video averages 40 to 50 new members each month, remarkable considering their only advertising is through the town’s local newspaper, which is published monthly.
“The main thing is we take it personally,” Peter said. “If there’s a dirty floor or we say something that’s not very nice, it reflects directly on us. When people come into this store, it’s like we’re welcoming them into our home.”
The Chases knew their business philosophy was working when a customer asked how they planned to celebrate their first anniversary. They thought about it, then decided to have an open house with discounted movie rentals, face painting and free video games. They began spreading the word a couple of weeks before the date. On the day of the open house, the customer who put the idea into their heads arrived carrying balloons and a sheet cake decorated with an airplane. After her came more customers, then more customers until the store was so packed, people could barely move. And it stayed that way all day.
“That meant we were doing something right,” Peter said.
