Is Kempsey’s Abbey Video one of the last movie rental stores in the country?

Looking at the worn sign that reads “ABBEY VIDEO” outside 67 Smith Street, on Kempsey’s main drag, you might assume you were looking at one of those old “ghost signs” that remain on buildings even after the business has closed or moved on.

But it might surprise you to learn that Abbey Video still operates as a movie rental business for Kempsey locals.

Sisters Lesley and Jo have owned the business for about 17 years. Prior to this venture, Lesley worked at Kempsey’s Video Ezy until it shut down – giving her a quarter of a century’s worth of experience in movies and movie rental.

I spoke with Lesley on a Wednesday afternoon, who understood the public curiosity with her store, which remarkably still exists in the dim twilight of the analogue media industry during a time when documentaries are being made about its heyday.

“We were on that cusp. We had a good three to four years before the decline,” Lesley told  the Mid North Coaster.

Lesley explained the business is made viable by the demand for DVDs from locals who can’t afford home Wi-Fi; the elderly who haven’t got the knack of streaming; and tourists seeking home entertainment in nearby holiday rentals and AirBnBs with bad internet coverage.

“Normal late fees still apply,” she said.

The bread and butter of the collection is the weekly rentals, complemented by new releases which Lesley buys wholesale from Sanity. 

Sanity was a bricks-and-mortar Australian music and entertainment retailer but is now entirely online. 

Initially operating out of “the old church near the Woolies carpark” (hence the name Abbey Video), Lesley and Jo decided to move the store to its Smith Street location about a decade ago, combining it with a uniform outlet that closed up shop around the same time.

According to the ABC it’s not known how many movie rental stores still exist in Australia, mainly because the Australian Video Rental Retailers Association (AVRRA) folded in 2016. However, it seems the majority of those last standing are in regional towns.

The store also sells miscellaneous knick-knacks and curios as well as local honey made in Crescent Head.

The challenges of running such a business are self-evident at a time where digital streaming services dominate. So what does Lesley enjoy about running Abbey Video?

“The variety of people who come in, and just having a chat!” she said.

And what are Lesley’s favourite movies? “I love a good drama or action, anything old fashioned, romantic. I don’t like horror!” 

For those who do like their spooky thrills, Abbey Video has ample representation of the genre.

In an era of endless scrolling through streaming services, Abbey Video is a welcome reminder that it hasn’t always been that way – and that physical media is still relied on and enjoyed.

Of course, we still experienced choice paralysis in those bygone aisles, but the staff were always there to help. As Lesley says: “It’s all about the people contact!”

📍Abbey Video is located at 67 Smith St, Kempsey.