April 30 will mark an end of an era for Busselton when Toni and John Shepherd call curtains on their video store.
The Shepherd’s have had Civic Video on Bussell Highway since 1995, taking over from Plain’s Video Store, which was established in 1991.
They are currently holding a closing down sale and shut shop with the fondest memories of their time in the industry.
“Our highlight has been making friends and getting to know a lot of really nice people,” Toni said.
“We’ve seen people bring in their children, then those children grow up and get married and have come back with their children.”
The store’s longevity in a day and age of downloads and streaming is remarkable, especially considering only 13 Civic Video stores remain nation-wide.
Two of those stores are in South West locations, with shops in Bunbury and Margaret River.
The Shepherd’s thanked their loyal customers for 23 years of support.
“They are very sad as a video store is a very social business and not everyone is interested in the digital technology,” Toni said.
“It isn’t just older generations, it is young families and coming to get a movie is a special thing.
“We thank our customers for their friendship and patronage. We will miss them.”
The Shepherd’s plan to retire but will remain ‘movie buffs’ by catching new films and re-watching the classics.
