Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
After more than two decades in the business, Kevin Lazzari closed the doors of Video Stop on Patricia Street July 24, citing COVID-19 pandemic as "100 per cent" the reason.
Lazzari's not done though - he has switched to a new way of selling and renting products.
He shut the store down in March after the pandemic was declared and reopened around the long weekend in May.
"The business community in Jasper was struggling," Lazzari said. "I had to financially."
But Lazzari said it was difficult to operate the store within the parameters of COVID-19 protocol.
"It really changed people's lives, this COVID-19 thing," he said.
"Everyone on the entire planet has changed somehow."
As the saying goes however, when one door closes, another opens. Inspired by a couple of Jasper businesses that moved to online sales, Lazzari did the same.
鈥淚 started doing deliveries when I was closed for seven weeks. When I reopened, I quit doing them,鈥� he said.
The combination of the detrimental effects of the pandemic and seeing how successful online sales could be led to Lazzari's decision to close the Video Stop store. He is now based in the industrial park and the inventory is the same.
And it didn't take long for the change to catch on.
"I've actually done four deliveries since Friday - two movie rentals and two electronic deliveries," he said on July 27.
The new business model is already showing to be successful, but Lazzari said he's going to miss the days at the store.
"I've already had people tell me they're going to miss it - that human interaction,鈥� he said.
鈥淰ideo stores are built on that.
鈥淚've made lots of friends in the store over the years. I've met people I'm still friends with. All of my staff became long-lasting friendships."
Lazzari has experienced many changes over the years, but one factor that hasn't changed is his love for movies, something he's had for as long as he can remember.
Lazzari started working at the Chaba Theatre when he was 16, under the guidance of owner Dwain Wacko, who was "one of his favourite bosses".
After three years as a janitor, he moved up to being the projectionist and worked at the theatre for almost ten years. That's where Lazzari met Shannon Wall who later became his employee and worked at Video Stop for nine years.
Lazzari first connected with Video Stop in 1989 through Sam and Shelly Koebel, who ran it out of the current SnowDome location.
"They started it downstairs with 300 VHS movies," he said. "I used to go there all the time. I've been an avid renter.鈥�
In 1996 Lazzari started working for the Koebels at Video Stop and was the manager there for almost ten years. He said he learned a lot about business from Sam.
In 2008, Lazzari and his wife Melba purchased the business, which by then had moved upstairs in the same building.
And in 2013, Video Stop moved to the Patricia Street location.
Evidenced by his current move, Lazzari is good at adapting to changing conditions. He's had to do that over the years at his store.
"Video rentals were going down, Netflix was starting to gain popularity," he said.
That led Lazzari bringing different products in. In 2012 he started The Source franchise to sell electronics and in 2016 set up a skateboard section, including skateboards, skateboard accessories and apparel.
And there were more changes to come.
"Everybody kept coming in and saying, 'This is so nostalgic,' because of the videos," Lazzari remembered.
"I embraced it by bringing in products that embraced that theme, that feeling: movie collectables, vintage comics, board games."
That wide variety of products is still available.
Lazzari said with the motto, 'We'll come to you instead of you coming to us' he will continue to provide service to the Jasper community.
"I'm trying to minimize contact and keep customers safe," he said. Thanks to e-transfers, "I'll drop [products] at their door and they don't even have to see me."
And Lazzari, like millions of others, is hopeful the pandemic will at least wane.
"In a couple of years - who knows?" he said.
Reach Video Stop's online business at .
