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Thursday, February 2, 2012

In Levittown, video survivors

Remember Blockbusters? And West Coast Video, and the Hollywood chain?

"We have outlasted our competition," says Alice Tardino, owner with her husband John of The Video Store, on New Falls Road, Levittown. There's a former Blockbuster across the street, a closed-down Hollywood a block away.

Video Store opened in 1981, back during VCR times. The Tardinos diversified early, adding a photo-finishing business, notary public stamps, passports, video copying, Pennsylvania Lottery sales, and "special ordering of rare movies." They own title to their building, having secured a mortgage to purchase the onetime branch of the late Philadelphia National Bank. They use family labor, so "overhead is as low as I can get it." Big inventory, cheap prices and a long list of customers.

"We were first in" to the video business, "and we will be the last out," says Alice.
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 4:11 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:34 AM, 02/03/2012
    That is like saying Acme is a floral shop because they sell roses.
    — The Baron


1 comments
About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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