One of the last survivors in the video rental business is closing. This week the owner of Family Video announced it's going to close its last 250 stores, including seven in eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
They're located in Moline, Bettendorf, Davenport, Galesburg, Dixon, Kewanee, and Keokuk. And they'll close once everything in the stores is sold, videos and store fixtures.
Keith Hoogland is the CEO of Highland Ventures which is based in Glenview Illinois, and the owner of Family Video. In a letter on the company website he said, quote, “The impact of COVID-19, not only in foot traffic but also in the lack of movie releases, pushed us to the end of an era.”
Family Video first opened in 1978, and at its peak had more 800 stores.