A look at video and movie rental shops in the UK.
You can still rent films from several video shops in the UK.
Do you still have a video store near you?
Video shop memories.
Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s I've got fond memories of visiting video shops with my family and picking out a film or two (generally one of the Police Academy films, action flicks, or horror movies as I got older!).
I found the preserved remains of a Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in 2019. And during the coronavirus pandemic my interest in lost brands and retail history was piqued. Since then I've been to several former Blockbuster Video stores around the UK, as well as finding some other old, and some still open, video shops on our travels!
How many video shops are there in the UK in 2026?
Our most recent estimate shows there are seven 'video shops' still in operation offering physical media movie rentals in the UK.
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| TVL Allstar Video DVD rental shop in Haverhill, Suffolk in December 2024 |
They are:
- 20th Century Flicks in Bristol.
- Fast Forward in Ayr, Scotland.
- Northgate Video & DVD in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
- Playback Video in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.
- Snips Movies in Bebington, Wirral.
- Stones Video Library & Sweet Shop & Vaporiser Shop in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
- TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, Suffolk.
- Video Years in Leeds is a niche video shop specialising in skateboard VHS & DVDs.
- There is also VideOdyssey in Toxteth, Liverpool - however it is open to visit by appointment only.
We've been to 20th Century Flicks, Northgate Video & DVD, TVL Allstar Video and Video Years, and are looking forward to going to Fast Forward, Playback Video, Snips Movies, Stones Video Library and VideOdyssey in the future.
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| Northgate Video & DVD shop in Bury St Edmunds (May 2025) |
While there are nowhere near as many video shops as there once were, it's still very nice to see there are businesses active in the 'video rental' sector in 2026.
Do you know of any other video shops in operation? Please do let us know.
Non-rental video shops.
There is also Straight To Video - 80s Video Shop in Alfreton, Derbyshire. While they don't actually rent physical media, the shop is a treasure trove of nostalgia. And they do have items for sale. We're looking forward to a trip there too.
Signs and traces of old video shops.
In addition to the open video shops, there are still traces of former video shops to be found on the streets, shopping centres and retail parks of the UK.
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| VHS tapes and DVDs to rent at B.V.C. Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever (October 2020) |
While the majority of these relics and ghost signs are of old Blockbuster Video stores, there are still signs of independent video shops to be seen if you're lucky (and actually visit and rent from if you're really lucky!).
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| An old video rental sign inside a Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston (November 2020) |
The list below has links to those we've snapped over the years:
- Shahenshah Videos in Luton
- Deane Video Centre in Bolton
- Video Box Office at the Happy Shopper Wayfairer Discount Store in Ilkeston
- Video Future in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
- The Movie Box in Manchester
- Jubilee Films in Ashton-under-Lyne
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| Jubilee Films video shop in Ashton-under-Lyne (August 2020) |
- B.V.C. - Bolton Video Centre in Little Lever, Bolton (closed down in 2024)
- 20th Century Flicks in Bristol (still operating, but closed on the day of our visit)
- Video Express in Swansea
- Video Rentals at The Village Top Shop in Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham
- Northgate Video & DVD in Bury St Edmunds (still operating, but closed on the day of our visit)
- TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill (still operating)
- Video Years in Leeds (still operating)
- GTV TV & Video in Watford, Hertfordshire
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| TVL Allstar Video DVD rental shop in Haverhill, Suffolk last Christmas |
We're looking forward to checking out the other still operating stores on our travels in the future.
Blockbuster Video shops.
I've enjoyed researching the lost brand and seeking out remnants of old Blockbuster stores over the last few years.
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| An ex-rental Blockbuster VHS tape with stickers |
Here's a list, with links to blog posts about the former Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited to date:
- Abingdon, Oxfordshire
- Ashton, Bristol
- Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Basingstoke, Hampshire
- Billingham, Teesside
- Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
- Chester, Cheshire
- Chorley, Lancashire
- Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
- Colne, Lancashire
- Failsworth, Manchester
- Fallowfield, Manchester
- Felixstowe, Suffolk
- Filton, Bristol
- Great Moor, Stockport, Greater Manchester
- Hastings, East Sussex
- Leigh, Greater Manchester
- Luton, Bedfordshire
- Marple, Greater Manchester
- Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
- Nuneaton, Warwickshire
- Oldham, Greater Manchester
- Prescot, Lancashire
- Shanklin, Isle of Wight
- Southampton, Hampshire
- Telford, Shropshire
- Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
- Wisbech, Cambridgeshire
- Wythenshawe, Manchester
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| A sign for the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Colne, Lancashire (August 2020) |
At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster Video stores around the world. 500+ of which were in England, Scotland and Wales. Interestingly in Northern Ireland the Xtra-Vision brand was used by the owners in-line with the Republic of Ireland.
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| An Xtra-vision ex-rental VHS tape from Ballymena, Northern Ireland |
The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013.
'Free Blockbuster'.
The first Free Blockbuster was created in 2019 and since then more have been created in the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK.
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| The Free Blockbuster Las Vegas at Sohn vintage shop in Las Vegas (September 2024) |
You can find Free Blockbusters in several locations throughout North America, one in Australia, and there is one in the UK - at Midsomer Magpie in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England.
Check out the Free Blockbuster website for more information.
Video shop speakeasies, bars, and venues.
The nostalgia for video shops and the culture they provided back in the day has been translated to some speakeasies, bars and other venues incorporating a video shop theme.
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| You can't rent any of these films on VHS at RBT Video |
These include:
- Pixel Busters in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - an arcade and social gaming venue hidden behind a video store.
- Rewind NQ in Manchester's Northern Quarter - check out my blog post 'Drinking in a 'video shop'').
- RBT Video in Wakefield - take a look at the blog post from our visit.
- Vice & Co in Lincoln - here's a blog post from our visit.
- Bunga 90 - in Covent Garden, London. The venue sees you step through a video shop frontage to enter a venue full of retro games, karaoke and more.
Blockbuster Crazy Golf.
There are also 'Blockbuster Video' themed holes at some minigolf courses in the UK.
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| Blockbuster crazy golf in Nottingham |
They're part of the Golf Fang brand of indoor crazy golf courses.
Video rental shop watch.
Do you still have a video rental store near you? Please get in touch or let us know in the comments if you do!
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| An ex-rental cover for what would've been our local video shop here in Edgeley, Stockport, Greater Manchester |
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