Video Ezy

Video Ezy
Company type	Private
Industry	Home video rental
Founded	1983 in Hurstville, Sydney, Australia
Founder	Kevin Slater
Fate	Store closures; transitioned to automated kiosks; operator liquidated in 2021
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Area served	Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia
Key people	Paul Uniacke (CEO from 2005), Edward Nedelko (co-owner from 2005), Robert Maidment (former chairman)
Products	VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray rentals; console video games
Parent	Franchise Entertainment Group (after rebranding)

Video Ezy was a prominent Australian home video rental chain that provided titles on formats such as VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray, along with console video games. During its height in the mid-2000s, Video Ezy operated more than 500 outlets nationwide, combining company-owned and franchised stores. After acquiring Blockbuster’s Australian operations, it commanded approximately 40% of the local video rental market. The business also extended its reach into New Zealand and parts of Asia.

Starting in the late 2000s, the company experienced widespread store closures. By 2020, Video Ezy's presence in Australia was limited exclusively to automated rental kiosks. In March 2021, Evolve Entertainment—the operator of these kiosks—entered liquidation. This downturn reflected broader industry trends driven by the growing dominance of online streaming platforms.

History

Video Ezy was founded in 1983 when Kevin Slater launched the inaugural store in Hurstville, a Sydney suburb, initially renting out VHS and Betamax tapes. The franchise model was introduced in 1984, enabling rapid expansion throughout New South Wales and Queensland; by 1990, the chain had grown to 102 stores and surpassed 300 outlets by 1996. That same year, Malaysian conglomerate Berjaya Group acquired a majority 60% stake, with Chairman Robert Maidment retaining the remaining 40%. Video Ezy became part of Berjaya’s CarLovers division until Berjaya sold its interests in 2002 to Australian private equity firm CHAMP Ventures.

In 2000, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) accused Video Ezy of illegally raising new release rental prices ahead of the Goods and Services Tax rollout. The matter was resolved in 2001 after Video Ezy acknowledged misleading customers and agreed to contribute towards ACCC’s legal expenses.

By 2003, Video Ezy divested most of its corporate-owned stores to concentrate on franchising. It introduced the Ezy Exclusive DVD range featuring TV shows and films with exclusive distribution rights but discontinued this line by 2006. In 2004, it launched DVD Unlimited, a subscription-based rental service modeled after Netflix’s approach.

In 2005, Paul Uniacke and Edward Nedelko acquired controlling interest from CHAMP Ventures and other shareholders, with Maidment stepping down as chairman. At that point, Video Ezy operated around 560 outlets across Australia. The company also established training centers for staff and explored digital innovations such as a planned video-on-demand service and in-store movie downloads; however, these technologies were only implemented on a limited scale.

The acquisition of Blockbuster Australia’s entire network of 518 stores in 2007 elevated Video Ezy’s combined market share to roughly 40%. Subsequently, the company rebranded as Franchise Entertainment Group (FEG) and secured master franchise rights for Blockbuster branding.

In 2009, FEG purchased the struggling EzyDVD chain for about $10 million, acquiring its brand name, e-commerce operations, franchise system, inventory, and assets. CEO Uniacke noted that EzyDVD’s locations within major shopping centers complemented Video Ezy’s store footprint. After restructuring efforts, only three EzyDVD outlets remained by 2013; the brand was sold off in 2017 and currently operates exclusively online.

Video Ezy introduced Flash Rewards in 2011—a loyalty program providing rental incentives and discounts through partnerships with companies including cinema chains—but these external collaborations ended by early 2013. That year also saw pilot projects integrating convenience stores such as Metcash’s Lucky 7 into select franchises alongside joint ventures with Cold Rock Ice Creamery to launch dual-branded express locations.

In late 2011, Video Ezy encountered criticism on social media due to its ongoing sponsorship of Southern Cross Austereo’s Take40 Australia following controversial remarks made by co-host Kyle Sandilands. Although customer backlash led to a temporary suspension of advertising during summer months, the company maintained sponsorship after Sandilands was removed from his co-host role.

Global growth and contraction

Video Ezy inaugurated its initial overseas branch in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1988, with the establishment of master licensor Video Ezy International Ltd in 1991 to facilitate worldwide expansion. In January 1997, through a partnership with Berjaya Group, Video Ezy ventured into the Asian market by launching its first store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. By May 1998, Chairman Robert Maidment revealed ambitions to transform Video Ezy into a global brand, targeting markets including Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Brunei, and the Philippines. In March 1999, the company debuted its first outlet in Bangkok, setting goals of reaching 100 stores by 2000 and expanding to 150 locations within Malaysia by 2003.

March 2001 saw the opening of Video Ezy’s first Indonesian outlet alongside a new store at Jelita Shopping Centre in Singapore. The Singaporean network blended corporate-owned and franchised outlets situated in shopping precincts such as Holland Village, residential complexes like International Plaza (Singapore), and malls including VivoCity. Unlike the Australian market, Video Ezy Singapore capitalized on seven-day late-night retail hours and a population less dependent on personal vehicles.

In June 2005, Video Ezy launched its inaugural store in the United Arab Emirates at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, with plans to establish an additional 17 outlets over the following decade. By August that year, Video Ezy operated 156 stores across New Zealand, 128 in Thailand, 135 throughout Indonesia, 19 in Singapore (which grew to 24 by December), 28 by 2007, nine in Malaysia, one in the UAE, and one in Fiji.

Asian franchises provided rentals of Video CDs and LaserDiscs due to these formats’ regional popularity. Nevertheless, widespread video piracy presented formidable obstacles, notably hindering growth strategies in Malaysia. In Indonesia, where pirated VCD movies sold for as little as USD50¢, Video Ezy responded by reducing rental costs and achieved moderate success competing against piracy. Piracy also adversely affected operations in Fiji, resulting in the closure of five stores in 2012 after incurring losses of approximately USD170,000.

Between 2008 and 2011, piracy along with increasing Pay TV subscriptions and internet downloads forced Video Ezy Indonesia to shut down 51 outlets, leaving a network of 105 stores. From 2011 until January 2013, an additional 60 locations were closed. By mid-2014, only 90 stores remained across New Zealand. In 2015, Video Ezy International (NZ) entered liquidation; the Australian parent company assumed control but withdrew from New Zealand entirely by 2018 with just six stores still operating. That same year saw the sale of the final three Singapore stores to local chain Movie Magic.

Automated rental kiosks

In December 2011, Franchise Entertainment Group unveiled its first Video Ezy Express DVD and Blu-ray rental kiosk following an earlier announcement that year. FEG acquired 1,000 kiosks from US-based NCR Corporation for AUD$20 million and aimed to expand the fleet to 3,000 units within three years to capture market leadership. To oversee this venture, FEG established Evolve Entertainment as the rental kiosk operator. The Video Ezy Express kiosks were leased to local franchisees of Video Ezy and Blockbuster and strategically installed in high-footfall areas such as shopping centres and supermarkets. Rental fees were more affordable than traditional brick-and-mortar stores and did not require membership cards; charges were processed directly via customers’ credit cards.

Initially competing against over 300 Hoyts Kiosks and approximately 100 RedRoom kiosks across Australia and New Zealand, Evolve Entertainment later acquired RedRoom’s entire operation—eliminating a major competitor and expanding its capacity. In November 2017, Evolve also purchased Hoyts Kiosk’s business and replaced all machines with kiosks bearing the Express brand. A limited number of Blockbuster-branded kiosks continued to operate alongside.

The kiosk system functioned on a hub-and-spoke framework whereby franchisees managed a central store supported by multiple nearby kiosks. While stores maintained extensive collections featuring older titles, kiosks concentrated on new release rentals. As more physical stores closed over time, franchisees increasingly transitioned toward exclusive kiosk operations.

During a general meeting held in March 2021, it was resolved that Evolve Entertainment would be liquidated and official liquidators appointed.

Marketing

In 1993, Video Ezy introduced the "Get it first time, or get it free" promise, which was later revamped in April 2007 as part of the broader "Movie Guarantee" initiative. This umbrella included guarantees covering Rental, Price, and Ex-Rental categories.

Among its promotional efforts were campaigns like "Rent It – The Only Way To Get It," designed for titles available exclusively for rental, and "Upsize Your Entertainment," which enabled customers to purchase a related movie at a reduced price after renting a specific title. For instance, in April 2007, Charlotte's Web served as the featured rental, with Paulie offered as the discounted upsell.

Over the years, Video Ezy employed various slogans such as:

"In the Mood" (1990s)
"Relax" (1998–2000)
"Ezy does it" (2003)
"There is More to See" (2000–2003)
"The choice is Ezy" (1990s)
"Get it first time, or get it free"
"We have so many copies of our Rental Guarantee title, we guarantee you'll rent it now, or rent it free"
"Love Movies" (2009)
"More to Love"
"Rent it. Buy it." (Singapore)

As a franchise system, individual outlets managed their own promotions and pricing strategies independently.

Between 1990 and 1992, Video Ezy served as a prominent sponsor of the Canberra Raiders.

Competitors and downfall

Within Australia’s video rental market, Video Ezy faced competition from chains such as Blockbuster (prior to its Australian acquisition), Civic Video, Network Video, Video City, and Movies 4U. While it held a dominant position in New South Wales, rivalries were comparable in Queensland and Tasmania. In the broader retail sector for video and gaming products, competitors included Kmart, Target, Myer, Big W, Sanity, JB Hi-Fi, EB Games Australia, EzyDVD (before acquisition), and Amazon. Beginning in 2003, Quickflix introduced mail-based DVD rentals as an additional competitive force.

The advent of widespread high-speed internet during the late 2000s prompted consumers to shift towards digital entertainment options through legitimate platforms like iTunes as well as unauthorized downloads. Streaming services such as Netflix and Stan emerged as significant disruptors to Video Ezy’s conventional business model, accelerating the decline of Australia’s video rental sector. Between 1999–2000 and 2013, DVD rental outlets decreased by nearly 80%, reflecting an average annual industry contraction of 14.8%. Contributing factors included expanded Pay TV and free-to-air channel offerings, decreasing DVD prices which encouraged purchases over rentals, rising expenses related to rent and wages, ongoing franchise fees, and reduced consumer spending following the 2008 financial crisis.

These combined challenges resulted in the closure of approximately 270 Video Ezy and Blockbuster locations nationwide by August 2011. By February 2016 only seven stores remained operational in South Australia; Western Australia’s count dropped from over 50 to a single store by December 2018. Regional towns such as Lithgow and Berri lost their sole full-service video rental outlets when local franchises shut down. Some franchise owners adapted by selling film memorabilia or leasing portions of their premises; others transitioned their branding to competitors like Network Video or operated independently. The final Video Ezy outlets ceased operations between 2018 and 2019. Australia's last Blockbuster store closed its doors in March 2019, leaving only Video Ezy Express and Blockbuster rental kiosks still functioning.

In March 2013, Franchise Entertainment Group CEO Paul Uniacke acknowledged the ongoing store closures but highlighted intentions to sustain brand visibility through kiosk deployments. By February 2016 he attributed closures primarily to high rental costs and wages rather than competition from streaming services, noting that stores offered new releases months ahead of their online availability. He asserted that physical rental stores could still be viable under specific circumstances. Remaining outlets survived by diversifying offerings and catering to customers who preferred physical media or lacked dependable internet access.

Although brand longevity was extended via kiosks, diminishing patronage combined with the COVID-19 pandemic—which delayed major film releases—further strained operations. By early 2021 the last remaining Blockbuster and Video Ezy kiosks were shuttered due to pandemic-related difficulties.

In media

In the initial scenes of the first episode of Wayne Anderson – Singer of Songs (2006), a Video Ezy outlet is clearly visible.

External links

Official website of Video Ezy Australia