Local businessman concerned about video rental

by Sara Bisker
For The Post

The prospect of Ohio University's adding a video rental store to Nelson Commons by Fall Quarter worries at least one local business owner, as many students said they will frequent the new campus store.

The rental store is part of the Nelson addition project that should be completed by the fall. Students will have the option of paying with either Bobcat Cash or money, said Randy Shelton, OU director of housing and food services.

Demetrios Prokos, owner of four Athens Video stores in the area, said the university's new video store will harm the businesses he has owned since 1982.

"What Ohio University's doing by competing with the private businesses is not only hurting the local economy, but hurting the local consumers," he said. "If my video store does pay property taxes and is being replaced by a video store that doesn't pay taxes, someone else's taxes are going to go up."

The new store could cause some video stores, including one or more of his, to shut down, giving Athens residents fewer options, Prokos said.

"I have two choices - raise prices or start closing video stores," he said.

Prokos said if he loses at least 20 percent of his customers, he will need to start closing stores.

Other area video store managers were unavailable for comment.

Shelton said OU is unsure how it will run the store, and therefore uncertain how it will affect local video store owners.

"We have not decided how we are going to operate the store, only decided that we are going to have one," Shelton said.

Many on-campus students said they like the convenience the Nelson store will offer.

"It's not a big walking distance (to go Uptown), but if it is raining, then it is easier for students," OU freshman Brandon Johnson said.

Johnson also said he likes the option of using Bobcat Cash because he often runs out of money and resorts to using it anyway.

But sophomore Tracey Matlak does not think those Uptown businesses will suffer from OU's video store addition.

"The people off-campus are going to use those," she said.

- Campus Editor Kevin A. Schneider contributed to this story.