Two car crashes, one pandemic and the rise of streaming and piracy have combined to roll the final credits for London’s last remaining video rental shop.
Over the 25 years since Gulam Charania opened his store, called For Your Eyes Only, customers have included Bodies star Stephen Graham.
But the aftermath of the pandemic coupled with other unfortunate events have finally led to the curtain call of the store in Forest Hill, south east London.
The store and ‘community hub’ has outlived video rental giant Blockbuster by more than a decade and swatted away competing stores thanks to an army of loyal, film-loving customers who will mourn its demise.
The video store stocked more than 11,000 DVDs, Blu-Rays and video games and boasts actors such as Graham – who once lived just down the road from the shop – Con O’Neill and Hugo Speer amongst its more famous clientele.
Gulam Charania opened his store, called For Your Eyes Only, more than 25 years ago
During that time, the beloved video rental store has been visited by thousands of Londoners
Inside, the shop stocked more than 11,000 DVDs, Blu-Rays and video games
But after 25 years in the business, Mr Charania is taking the decision to close the store for good
After a car obliterated the shopfront for the second time last summer, the beloved video rental store was forced to shut for three-and-a-half months.
This, following a pandemic-enforced closure and the rise of streaming and piracy, has resulted in Mr Charania, who lives in Orpington, Kent, calling it a day and saying: ‘This is the end of an era. That’s it.’
The father-of-two and grandfather-of-four opened the doors of his store – believed to be the last video rental store in London and one of the last in the UK – back in 1998, having been inspired by his love of film.
‘I love the films of the 80s and 90s,’ he explained. ‘Your Rambos, Star Wars…
‘It’s just CGI now – it’s not as good as it used to be. But there are still good films being made.’
For Your Eyes Only – a nod to Roger Moore’s 1981 James Bond classic of the same name – still has rows of DVDs and Blu-Rays inside, separated in categories from ‘horror’, ‘comedy’ and ‘new releases’ to ‘Oscar-nominated films’ and blockbusters.
Stickers showing some of the deals customers once enjoyed, still adorn the walls: ‘Thu, Fri, Sat – rent any 3 Blu-Rays for one night only £3’. It was deals like this, and For Your Eyes Only’s loyal fan base that kept it in business for so long.
Mr Charania’s decision came after a crashed car ruined the shopfront for the second time last summer. He is now selling all his stock
The store still has rows of DVDs and Blu-Rays inside, separated in categories from ‘horror’, ‘comedy’ and ‘new releases’ to ‘Oscar-nominated films’
Stickers showing some of the deals customers once enjoyed, still adorn the walls
The shop believed to be the last video rental store in London and one of the last in the UK
Over the years, Mr Charania has successfully batted away buyout offers and big-money competitors such as Blockbuster – perhaps the most famous movie rental company in the world, which opened and later shut in the area during his 25-year tenure.
On his secret to outliving the video rental giant by a decade, the shop owner revealed he would receive early releases of the hottest new films from his trusted suppliers, most of whom have also now shut up shop.
Another shop, Apollo Video, once even offered Mr Charania £25,000 to buy his store out – which he rejected.
‘This store was a community hub,’ he said, boxing up stacks of DVDs. ‘I’ve had a few people coming in really, really upset that we’re closing.
‘I’ve seen people who have moved out of the area come back over the years just to reminisce and say, “I’m so glad you’re still here”.
‘All the families used to come in, it was brilliant.
‘Now, far fewer people have DVD players. But what happens if your internet goes? You’re stuffed.
‘Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights people would queue out the door. It would be heaving.
‘Now I see kids ask their mums when they go past, “What’s a DVD shop?”. They don’t know.’
Mr Charania, who lives in Orpington, Kent, said closing the store was ‘the end of an era’
Over the years, Mr Charania has successfully batted away buyout offers and big-money competitors such as Blockbuster (pictured is the inside of his shop)
More than 11,000 DVDs, Blu-Rays and games once stocked the shelves. Now many are bare
Pictured: Gulam Charania, owner of For Your Eyes only video rental shop in south east London
The store is now shutting up shop for good after more than 25 years in the business
Mr Charania says a car rolling into his shop front in August last year, causing him to board-up for nearly four months while insurance claims were settled, was another nail in a coffin.
The lifelong Chelsea fan insists that though the rise of streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ has taken some of his business, video piracy took more when it first emerged.
‘When Netflix started it was cheap,’ Mr Charania said. ‘Now, I am getting people moaning, saying: “Why are you closing down? Netflix is rubbish”.
‘But there are so many streaming services now.’
On the impact of people illegally pirating films and TV shows, he added: ‘One of my friend’s shops was doing an unbelievable trade before people began pirating films.
‘Then people started saying, “I’ve seen that one online, I’ve seen that one…”.’
Mr Charania says a car rolling into his shop front in August last year, causing him to board-up for nearly four months, was yet another nail in the coffin
As well as its loyal army of fans, customers at the store have also included Bodies star Stephen Graham (pictured is For Your Eyes Only in London)
Much of the stock is now gone at the Forest Hill rental store, in south London
A shopfront that once excited customers seeking their weekend movie fix now stands a glum vision of its former self, with empty shelves visible from outside
Mr Charania said the impact of people illegally pirating films and TV shows and the rise of streaming giants had led to fewer people coming through the doors
Mr Charania added his trade ballooned by around 80 per cent before the pandemic, but lockdown put a quick end to this.
‘I couldn’t believe the trade,’ he said. ‘Then Boris Johnson said we were entering a lockdown…
‘The Government gave us little handouts, but it was only paying the bills.’
Mr Charania says he will now look for another job, as he’s not ready to retire – perhaps at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital, where he has had treatment himself.
But the sadness he feels after locking-up for the last time on Monday (November 13) will take some time to recover from.
‘I’m holding it together, but I am going through a sort of depression,’ he admitted. ‘This is the end of an era. That’s it.
‘I have had some great times here and got to know lots of people.
‘Now I am going to have to find a job.’
A GoFundMe page was set up by supporters in March this year after the news spread that For Your Eyes Only may be forced to close its doors once-and-for-all – though Mr Charania had nothing to do with it.
Signs showing some of the deals, once beloved by customers, still adorn the walls
The store used to stock all the major blockbusters, as well as world cinema classics
A customer visits For Your Eyes Only before the store shut up shop permanently
The shop stocked a host of DVDs from action classics and blockbuster thrillers to romantic hits
He says the £2,300 it raised helped him pay the bills for a few months, but that his ever-waning customer base meant his business was no longer sustainable.
n teaching assistant Margherita D’Angelo, however, will be disappointed to see the store go.
The mother-of-one, who is in her fifties and still watches DVDs, has a membership with the store and wonders where she will go to rent films in the future.
‘I have come here every now and then for a few years now,’ she said. ‘There aren’t any more around.
‘I used to work in a Blockbusters in myself, actually. It’s really sad it’s closing.
‘I think it’s an age thing. I just moved house and brought my DVD player with me. There are some things you can’t get on streaming platforms.
‘But, I’m surprised it has lasted this long, I have to say.’
James Blimsa, a father-of-two who works in security, grew up in Forest Hill and was delighted to see the shop was still there when he revisited the area three years ago, though he’s equally saddened to hear that it’s now closing.
The father-of-two and grandfather-of-four said he was heartbroken to finally call it a day
Pictured are some of the Blu-Rays stocked at For Your Eyes Only
No laughing matter – the shelf that once hosted dozens of comedy films now stands empty
A lone Captain Marvel Blu-Ray remains on the shelf – with the film’s sequel The Marvels, released on Friday
The 37-year-old, who now lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said: ‘I couldn’t believe it was still there.
‘It was the same guy who owned it when I was a kid.
‘I have fantastic memories… It was a reason for friends to get together.
‘As we got older going up to 16 and 17, obviously everyone has their own lives but it was still a thing to rent a DVD and all get together and watch it – that doesn’t exist anymore with Netflix.
‘I didn’t want to say to him that I don’t even own a DVD player anymore because times have moved on.
‘Even when I was explaining it to my 12-year-old son, he said how amazing it sounded.
‘It is something that the new generation will unfortunately never understand.’
Mr Charania added he hopes DVDs may ride a wave of nostalgia and make a comeback in future, much like vinyl records have.
‘You never know,’ he said.