BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- While a lot of time and attention right now is being devoted to copy-depth issues, this emphasis may be misplaced, said one studio executive.
Fox Home Entertainment, Beverly Hills, Calif. "It's not just a question of having more copies in a store. It is a question of the store being serviced properly, being shoppable and clean," he said.
"The neighborhood stores are going to always be there because people shop convenience and people shop at stores that they are comfortable in. So while copy depth seems to be the major focus on everyone's ind right now, we are sometimes concerned that the industry is taking its focus off the big picture, and that means providing better rental experiences at retail," said Jeffries.
Buying programs that enhance copy depth are just one part of the equation. "It doesn't do us any good to have more copies in the stores if the consumers aren't going into the grocery store's video department. Grocery may have an advantage in this scenario because you have built-in traffic, but you don't necessarily have built-in traffic in the video area. It is incumbent upon the studios to do more post-street-date advertising to help drive the consumer into the stores. But once the studio has driven the consumer into the store, it is up to the store to provide a comfortable, effective, entertaining environment for the consumer to take advantage of," Jeffries said.
