Found some old photos of Video Club in Salmiya I had taken back in 2011 before it closed down. Cassettes were being sold for 500fils and CD’s for 1KD.
At this point the store had shrunk to half the size and I don’t think the video rental upstairs still was around then.
20 replies on “The Video Club Before it Closed”
I used to go there and buy the latest music CDs. Shame.
I vaguely remember a similar place in Kuwait where they also had video rentals, not sure where it was but I remember it was downstairs somewhere, we’d pay 6KD to rent any VHS tape and they’d give us 5KD back when we returned it.
Mark are you aware of any other places that rented VHS tapes?
Hey, there were A LOT of shops that rented VHS tapes, Blue Belt, Funoon, IVC, and Video Club were probably the biggest or most popular.
The original Video Club was in the basement, in a different building further down the street.
Where? There was IVC futher down the street in a half basement next to Johnny Rockets. There was also Video Club at Cinema Salmiya much further down the street. I don’t remember this Video Club being anywhere else, at least 1990s+
For years, I remember seeing a sign for The Video Club at Mariam Mall in Salmiya on the building’s façade. Although, I never saw a Video Club inside the mall even back in the early 2000s. Also, Fanar Mall had 2 Video Club stores (Altho, it could’ve been completely different video store brands). Also also, TSC in Salmiya had an IVC store too.
OH WAIT THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR!! You might be right, I think there was a Video Club there 😳😳
@ Mark, I found a photo on Flickr of Fanar Mall in 2006 and it shows there was a Video Club there, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ysf/212989162
Nice find! I wonder if they ever opened there 🤔
Yes, that was the first video club I used to visit. When they had the punch cards for movie rentals. Then the main guy who worked there moved to a different shop in Al-Marzouq Pearl (after they shifted locations).
That was the original Video Club in the original Mariam Mall which was by the end of the Salim Al Mubarak St it was a haunted Mall and only the Video Club and some Fashion shop was open.
I remember the managers where from the UK and they had a really decent catalog of recorded shows from US/UK channels.
One thing I loved about The Video Club is that they re-released films once they get an official VHS release abroad so no more bootleg telecined trash. I also loved their Top of the Pops video collections.
I feel OLD !
@MHF, I remember one TSC branch had a video rental store. I can’t remember which location this was, but it was one my family and I frequented because of how laid-back the atmosphere was; never overcrowded. Anyways, that whole location closed down years ago and moved into what is now Sultan Wholesale in Shuwaikh.
Jam video!!!
jjq8
I sure I can remember a video rental in Salhiya Complex in the late 80s. It was on the ground floor about 5 stores from the entrance on the right hand side.
I think it was Video Club.
Please tell me I’m not dreaming this!
Oh wow I never heard of a salhiya location. I need to find out who the owner is and get the full story on the brand
From what I heard the owners where British and they moved out of Kuwait in mid-2000’s to Dubai. So I guess you need to find their Kuwaiti partner.
Branches I remember Salmiya, Fintas (Alia and Ghalia Complex) and Safeway (remember Safeway !) maybe they also had one in Salhiya but I never went there. After the liberation they opened a branch in Fahaheel in 1993~1994 which closed down in early 2000s.
Had some GOLDEN childhood memories at that complex in the mid-90’s. VC and Al Mana Bookshop right next door were my favorite places in the world. Rock CDs and computer games from VC, and WWF and PC magazines from Al Manara. I also bought something like 50 Goosebumps books from that place.
I used to even ‘subscribe’ to the WWF magazines; they would save one for you when it arrived lol
hey, can u please tell me the address of this place ? I have been searching for places that sell movie CDs.
Did you not read the post? It closed down sometime after 2011. The building where it was located was even demolished and now there’s a new building. Also, Rehab Complex in Hawally may have some shops selling DVDs/Blu-rays.