Movie lovers might want to swing by Family Video, 109 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, and pick up some movies before they’re all gone in the next few weeks.
The liquidation sale has already started and the business is in the process of selling everything in the store, according to Bill Mohler, regional vice president of Highland Ventures, the company that owns Family Video.
He said the goal is to close up by the end of October. Family Video has been at the Warsaw location since 2009.
The sign at the corner of Winona Avenue and Buffalo Street states, “Store closing. All movies! Games! Fixtures on sale!”
As to why, Mohler said, “When you look at it, COVID certainly has been a contributor.” While other Family Videos have been able to bounce back after the mandatory statewide business closings ended, he said the Warsaw store did not recover.
“COVID did a lot of things. It closed us for a period of time, but it also slowed down Hollywood. They’re not making enough movies right now,” he said.
Family Video closings are territorially based, meaning the decision to close stores is being made location by location.
“Our goal is to keep things going as long as we can,” Mohler said. By November and December, he said they hope there will be more movies available for the video rental stores that remain open.
With the Warsaw location closing, Mohler said the closest Family Video will be in Fort Wayne, which will remain open.
As time went on, Mohler said the company has tried different things to add to its product line over the years. When he started with the company 28 years ago, he said they didn’t offer candy. Now, they’ve added CBD products and that’s been a nice addition for them.
Most employees at the Warsaw location were part-time and they will be given an opportunity to work at the other Family Video locations if they want. With the closing taking about six weeks, Mohler said the employees will be encouraged to find other opportunities and that time frame should give them ample time to do so.
“We do own the building and will be pursuing other tenants,” he said. “It’s a nice building, it’s a nice part of town.”
Anyone interested in the building can contact Mohler at bill.mohler@highlandventuresltd.com.
