In 1985, Red and Jackie Overcash opened their first T-Town Video in Troutman.
Twenty-five years and nine stores later, the couple will close their final location in Mooresville this spring after 23 years in business on North Main Street.
"It's sad," said Jackie Overcash. "It's just like a baby. This has been my baby. I watched it grow and grow into the business it was."
Although the Overcashes had already sold or closed their other eight stores, including locations in Statesville and Harmony, the Mooresville site – which opened June 1, 1987 – stayed in business.
But after 23 years, Jackie said the store was no longer profitable.
"We've been there 23 years; it's a long time," she said. "We hate to do it. But It's just got less and less and less (profitable)."
Jackie blamed a combination of increases in utility bills and staff salaries plus a decrease in video rentals. "It's just been one thing after another," she said. "It's a mixture of everything. And people aren't watching movies like they used to."
She added, "It's been a consistent store all those years. It was still a good store, but it wasn't good enough to show the profit you need."
As T-Town Video prepares to shutter, Jackie said they are hosting going-out-of-business sales to deplete their nearly 20,000-item inventory. The first such sale was held late last week following the closure announcement, though another began Thursday and continues through Sunday.
From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Saturday and 1-7 p.m. Sunday, all VHS tapes and DVDs will be sold. At $2 each for VHS and less than $8 for each DVD – only cash will be accepted – Jackie said she hopes the large inventory will quickly diminish.
"I bring things home every night," she mentioned. "When you walk through and there's such a good movie that you watched in the 80s, you think you may never see that again. You may never have the opportunity to get it again."
But opportunities for viewing those films will be many as the Overcashes plan to retire after 40 years of self-employment in a variety of ventures including T-Town Video, restaurants and other nearby establishments.
"We're going to retire. (Red's) retired. We just plan to spend some time with our daughter and granddaughter and son-in-law," she added.
The final day for T-Town Video remains unclear, Jackie noted. The Overcashes are waiting 'til their inventory dwindles significantly before officially closing. However, Jackie said she expects that to come by early April.
Seven employees, including the store manager, will be out of work as a result of the closure, she said.
"It's been hard on all of us," said Jackie. She said the store had a "personal touch," knowing customers by name and seeing many of the same faces on a regular basis. For her employees, no longer seeing those folks will be difficult.
"We just appreciate the 23 years that the Mooresville people have patronized us," Jackie added. "We're just grateful for what we've had."
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