Perched on the end of a row of terraces in a small town is one of the last DVD rental shops in the UK.

In 2022, there were thought to be as few as 10 remaining.

For 43 years Steve Webber has been behind the desk of Northgate Video, but how has he kept going amid the demise of chain retailers like Blockbuster and the rise of streaming services?

Sitting on the corner of Northgate Street in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, it is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shop.

But for those who head inside, it is like stepping back in time as customers are greeted by walls of shelves packed with thousands of DVDs for sale and rent. And a movie is always playing on a TV by the window.

Mr Webber, 72, says while he has some regulars, he gets passing trade from people intrigued by the idea a video or DVD rental shop still exists.

“It’s just nice to see people come in and say, ‘Oh wow, I didn’t realise places like this existed’,” he said.

“I had a lad come in months ago, a real film buff, and he was gobsmacked by it.”

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“Back in the early days it was just VHS tapes, which cost me £50 or £60.”

He would then rent them out for £2 a night, rising to about £2.50 in the early 2000s.

One thing never changed though, the most popular rentals were always new releases or horror films - “anything not available on TV”.

The most popular items over the years have included the lesser-known Zombie Flesh Eaters alongside hits like Apocalypse Now, Mad Max, Life of Brian and Star Trek.

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He still offers DVD rentals but said the market was “pretty much non-existent” with the focus now on sales.

"I’ve got a few regulars come in every week and a few come in randomly every month or so, or parents bringing in kids for special occasions.

"But it’s mainly sales, I’ve got 2,000 to 3,000 ex-rentals up for sale for £1 a time and I pride myself on being able to get pretty much anything anyone wants.

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However, the rise of platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime has hit the business harder, especially in the last 12-18 months, with the rise of films being produced by the streaming giants.

"It’s got to the stage now a new film will come out on Netflix and Amazon Prime before it actually comes out on DVD.

"Back in the day we always had a six-month window before it came out but now it’s an impossible situation.

“Now they do things principally for Netflix or Amazon and then they come out on DVD,” he said.

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Mr Webber said, although trade had slowed down, he had never put a definitive date on when to shut up shop.

"I keep saying I’ll close at the end of the year, then the end of the financial year.

“Then something will happen, it will pick up again.”

He said he would keep going for as long as people were still enjoying it.

"To put it bluntly, the money I make out of this is what they call my beer money.

“Unless streaming services all go down or the world goes to pot, then I shall still be here. I shall be the last man standing,” he said.