CIVIC (formerly known as Civic Video) was a home video rental chain that offered titles on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray, as well as console video games, for rent. At its peak it operated hundreds of franchise and corporate-owned video rental shops in Australia and New Zealand. In the late 2000s and 2010s the chain saw significant store closures. On 28 February 2023 the last remaining store in Windsor, New South Wales, closed after 38 years in operation.
The demise of the business and the Australian and New Zealand video rental industries as a whole is attributed largely to the introduction of online streaming services.
History
Australia
Civic Video was formed in Australia in 1985, initially as a buying group for several independent video stores before becoming a franchised company in 1989.VIDEO RENTALS DECLINE AS THE NOVELTY WEARS THIN Its head office was located in Alexandria, Sydney, with state operations offices in Canberra, Brisbane and Perth. Civic Video is a trade name used by Civic Retailing Proprietary Limited. The principal shareholders of Civic Video also owned VOD Proprietary Limited.
In the mid-1990s the company was Australia's second-largest video rental chain. In 1996, Civic operated over 250 stores in the country, and opened a new store every month.Video booms despite pay-TV However, by 2018 only 12 stores remained in Australia.Civic Video's closing credits | Busselton-Dunsborough Mail The company shut its head office in June that same year.Civic Video to close Head Office, Windsor store will keep trading By January 2019, only a half-dozen outlets still existed, with the Bunbury store in Western Australia's southwest preparing to close its doors after a 30-year stint. In November 2019, only three Civic stores remained in Australia.Windsor Civic Video still trading as another video shop bites the dust On 28 February 2023 the last surviving Civic store in Windsor, New South Wales, closed after 38 years in operation.Last Civic Video shop moves Windsor premises, re-sets longevity challengeThe last of its kind: Civic Video Windsor is officially closing down
New Zealand
CIVIC New Zealand was launched on 1 December 1998 with 28 stores. The New Zealand head office was located in Auckland, and at its peak boasted over 22,000 followers on Facebook.
In 2018 their website listed 20 outlets remaining in New Zealand.Final credits for Te Awamutu's last DVD store – NZ Herald In January 2019, it was reported that only a half-dozen outlets still existed, with one facing imminent closure.New Zealand's largest DVD rental store closes – Newstalk ZB In January 2022 the last remaining New Zealand store in Tauranga closed.
Slogans Its A Civic Video Night Tonight (1988–1995) Get It Switched On, Get into Civic Video (1994–1996) C it at Civic (2003) Have a hot night in with CIVIC (2012)
References
External links Official site