It is the end of an era.
Leo's Videos on Pandosy Street in the Lower Mission is closing.
Owner Leo Bartles told AM 1150's Early Edition he tried to sell but things didn’t work out.
“We ended up going through 25 different people that asked quite a few questions. About 15 people took a look at our books, we had a good response, honestly, and just most of them never got back to me. Never heard why,” said Bartles.
He said streaming and illegal downloading both had a hand in the downturn of the video industry, although neither are the reason he decided to sell.
“[It’s illegal downloading] that's gutted the industry, that's been the worst part of it. Streaming has been a tough go as well but our store still paid its bills, it still did fine, it was still a viable business. It's not that that killed it, I just don't want to own a business anymore,” said Bartles, adding he wants to go back to school.
“We have a baby coming in a month now, so that’s first and then fairly shortly after that it’s getting to school, getting started and the end goal is to become a teacher still.”
Leo’s Videos began selling its stock yesterday.
The store will close its doors in January.