Here is one of the last remaining Suncoast Motion Picture Company stores located at the Parkdale Mall in Beaumont Texas. There are less than 10 locations left of this very retro store. The interior lighting of the store has been improved even though the neon has been shut off for several years now. The exterior sign as you can tell is mostly functioning though.
The product mix inside of the store has changed tremendously over the years. Movies can still be found, but about half of the store is now dedicated to other products. The product mix is very similar almost to Hastings without the larger products and video games. This store is located right down the mall corridor to 2nd and Charles which is a very similar store to Hastings. The competition may be the reason why the product mix has changed from a focus on movies to the variety that is here now.
The back wall of the store is now dedicated to vinyl music products.
Collectibles have taken over much of the store.
Towards the front of the store more collectibles.
A vast t-shirt wall takes over space that was as of about a year ago movies.
The other back corner of the store is full of random collectibles and other items.
A vast selection of headphones and portable music devices fills this wall.
Phone cases are also mixed in with the headphones.
Here is the product mix at the checkout area. Few movies and a mix of products. There is also a large candy selection at the very front of the store, not pictured.
Thanks for the photos. It's quite amazing really that this store is still alive especially with local B&M competition, but here it is. The store certainly has that retro late 1980s/early 1990s look with the neon and CRT TVs out front. It's not surprising that they would try to sell records given that it's one of the few media formats with profit margins. I wonder how many people come here to buy headphones though. I guess Suncoast is now one part the Suncoast of old, one part Sam Goody, and one part Spencer's with the t-shirts. Hopefully they will have more success than what Hastings had. It would would be a real shame to lose this retro former mall staple.
ReplyDeleteIt is strange that this store has survived as long as it has. I heard that there were only 6 Suncoast stores left in the US. I am glad that they have kept the store open even with the movies being mostly an after thought now.
DeleteI love that they haven't updated their CRT Tvs yet
ReplyDeleteI hope they never remove them. The last time I saw them working, they were in really bad shape though from being on all of the time.
DeleteThere's still one in Omaha, NE. Their regular prices are sh*t, but I check in every month or so cuz occasionally they get in some decent used stuff and/or have good sales. I bought several of my Simpsons season boxsets and Pink Floyd's The Wall (which they didn't card me for at age 14) at this store so I will always have a fondness for it and hope it survives in some permutation or other
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update, I am somewhat familiar with the Omaha area. I stayed there a few months in the Summer of 1990. I am sure the area has changed a lot like Crossroads Mall being nearly empty and Westroads Mall being full. Westroads when I was there was not as nice as Crossroads and now it is a top of the line mall.
DeleteI haven't been in that store in a few years, but I remember the back wall (the vinyl wall) being all anime and the wall that's now headphones and phone accessories was (ironically) music documentaries and concert dvds. I assume the prices as still ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYeah you have to be on the lookout for deals. The FYE stores have similar store outlines now as well, but there is a small CD selection still left.
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