Show Me Video's Grand Finale
By Lori Lutsberg,
January 26, 2012, page 11.....

On February 29, 2012, Show Me Videos in Shelburne will close its doors. Carol Gadhue, (photo right), life-long Charlotte resident and owner of Show Me Video, has decided not to renew her lease and concluded that she can no longer compete with Netflix and Redbox. She nostalgically spoke about her history at the store, why she has decided to close it, and what her plans are for the future.
Show Me opened in the mid-1980s. Carol began working for the prior owners over a decade ago, first as a store clerk and then as manager. She purchased the business five years ago when the previous owners chose to sell. Carol, a self-proclaimed movie buff, learned everything about the business while working there. At the time of purchase she knew it wouldn’t be viable forever
The store is no longer financially sustainable for two reasons. First, federal and state taxes have become too burdensome for Carol. Second, as Carol put it, at $4.20 per rental, it takes a lot of customers just to enable her to pay the bills. Show Me has lost a whole generation of movie watchers to the likes of Netflix and Redbox. Many people now go on-line to rent or instantly download or stream movies to their computer, iPad, or phone. Cable companies, like Comcast, also provide an option of pay-per-view. People like the idea that it is hassle free.
It became clear to Carol last spring that it was no longer feasible to keep the store open, but she has managed to remain open since her lease isn’t up until the end of February. She didn’t want to leave her landlord in a difficult financial position.
Carol herself watches three to four movies per week. Action/adventure is her favorite genre. When asked to name her all-time favorite movie, she said that she has at least one from each category. Her favorite children’s movie is Up; her favorite action/adventure is a toss-up between Sahara and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; her favorite romance is The Notebook; and her favorite classic movie is Gone With the Wind. One of her goals when the store closes is to enter the high-tech world and learn to stream movies so she can keep up her beloved hobby.
Carol was nostalgic about the store and expressed sadness surrounding its closing. She loves her customers, knows most of them by name as well as by their cinematic likes and dislikes, and enjoys screening movies with specific people in mind. Besides Carol, Show Me Video has four employees, all of whom she describes as “very dedicated” and “fabulous,” and all of whom are sad about the store’s closing.
When asked if she had a message she wanted to convey to her customers, Carol said it’s been a “great run” and expressed how sorry she is to be closing the store, both for herself as well as for her customers and employees.
On a more positive note, Carol is looking forward to not having somewhere to be every day. She is looking forward to spending time at home in her garden and fishing. She has two trips planned this spring, hopes to improve her cooking skills (naturally, she was inspired by the movie Julie & Julia), and will be helping to take care of her aging mother. The last day to rent a video is Wednesday, February 15. After that she will be selling her inventory until February 29, so you have until then to stop by the store and say goodbye.