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Retailers Phasing Out VHS Movies
Fri Jun 21, 1:08 PM ET
By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Some national retailers, including Circuit City and Borders, are phasing out sales of VHS movies in a nod to the growing popularity of DVDs.
"The people who are buying movie titles these days want to buy them on DVD," Circuit City spokesman Jim Babb said Friday. "People have embraced the technology in a big way, and we're responding to that by increasing the space given to DVD titles."
Some of the Richmond-based electronics chain's stores already have cleared their shelves of all VHS movies. The company will continue to sell VHS movies on its Web site and stock blank tapes and video cassette recorders in its more than 600 stores, Babb said.
Borders is largely phasing out VHS tapes except for sports and exercise videos, said Ann Binkley, a spokeswoman for the book and music seller.
"For a big title, like Harry Potter ( news - web sites), we'll bring a limited amount of VHS along with the DVD," Binkley said.
Charles Van Horn, president of the International Recording Media Association, a trade association based in Princeton, N.J., said the move to phase out VHS is premature. He noted that about 90 percent of U.S. households have at least one VCR, while only about 30 percent have a DVD player.
"Circuit City will disappoint the 60 percent of consumers who have a VCR but no DVD," Van Horn said.
He said that while the DVD player is "the fastest growing video product ever," it will take time to catch up with the VCRs. And even after it does, the two products will coexist in most homes for years to come, he said.
Van Horn said other retailers are trimming their VHS movie inventory to make room for more DVDs, just as music stores cut back on cassettes to expand their CD selection. However, he does not expect other retailers to phase out VHS tapes any time soon.
Circuit City has no timetable for eliminating VHS tapes from all of its stores, Babb said.
Retailers Phasing Out VHS Movies
Fri Jun 21, 1:08 PM ET
By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Some national retailers, including Circuit City and Borders, are phasing out sales of VHS movies in a nod to the growing popularity of DVDs.
"The people who are buying movie titles these days want to buy them on DVD," Circuit City spokesman Jim Babb said Friday. "People have embraced the technology in a big way, and we're responding to that by increasing the space given to DVD titles."
Some of the Richmond-based electronics chain's stores already have cleared their shelves of all VHS movies. The company will continue to sell VHS movies on its Web site and stock blank tapes and video cassette recorders in its more than 600 stores, Babb said.
Borders is largely phasing out VHS tapes except for sports and exercise videos, said Ann Binkley, a spokeswoman for the book and music seller.
"For a big title, like Harry Potter ( news - web sites), we'll bring a limited amount of VHS along with the DVD," Binkley said.
Charles Van Horn, president of the International Recording Media Association, a trade association based in Princeton, N.J., said the move to phase out VHS is premature. He noted that about 90 percent of U.S. households have at least one VCR, while only about 30 percent have a DVD player.
"Circuit City will disappoint the 60 percent of consumers who have a VCR but no DVD," Van Horn said.
He said that while the DVD player is "the fastest growing video product ever," it will take time to catch up with the VCRs. And even after it does, the two products will coexist in most homes for years to come, he said.
Van Horn said other retailers are trimming their VHS movie inventory to make room for more DVDs, just as music stores cut back on cassettes to expand their CD selection. However, he does not expect other retailers to phase out VHS tapes any time soon.
Circuit City has no timetable for eliminating VHS tapes from all of its stores, Babb said.
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