Whanganui's Video Ezy store to close at the end of August

Desiree Wright (left) and Linda Spence are preparing for the closure of their family-owned DVD rental store.

Whanganui's last remaining specialist DVD rental store will close its doors for the final time at the end of August.

Linda and John Spence and their daughter, Desiree Wright, have owned the Video Ezy store in Victoria Ave for six-and-a-half years.

In May Video Ezy announced it was pulling out of the New Zealand market and the six remaining franchises had to decide whether to continue as independent non-franchised businesses.

"We've decided to close because of a combination of things," Linda Spence said.

"Video Ezy has pulled out and custom dropped off after that story appeared because people thought we had already closed. Our lease has run out as well."

The store is now operating on reduced hours of 10am to 6pm and everything in the shop, including fittings, is up for sale.

"We are going to miss our regulars and all the banter and seeing them," Spence said. "It is the end of an era."

Video Ezy has been operating in Whanganui for more than 20 years and has been in its upper Victoria Ave location for more than 15 years. Linda Spence and Wright both worked at Video Ezy before the family decided to buy the store.