Movie shop business Kenya: Everyone enjoys a good movie. However, with the era of flash-disks, downloadable films and uncontrollable piracy, Kenyans’ willingness to pay for a movie is up in the air. This is what can make the prospect of owning a movie shop daunting. However, the fact that “Movies at 50/-” shops are in every corner in town is enough proof that those already in the business are doing quite well. Piracy and “niwekee kwa flash-disk” might never wipe out DVD stores completely. If you are a movie buff looking to own a movie shop, there are some things you might want to know if you intend to run a profitable business.
Another point to note is that, even with Kenya having one of the cheapest Internets in Africa, people still do and will continue buying movies since not everyone can afford the internet and streaming movies directly from the internet.
SEE MORE: Why the movie shop business in Kenya is dying fast
Kenyans’ willingness to pay for a movie is ever up in the air. This is what can make the prospect of owning a movie shop daunting.
1. The establishment
You will have to figure out exactly where to put up your store. The location will be influenced by a number of factors, population and demand being key.
To get a shop in Nairobi for instance, things such as rent and goodwill will come to play before one can acquire a stall. To get a front stall – one that is just along the city pavements – you will pay around KES 30,000 in most downtown locations. For stalls within town, KES 40,000 to KES 60,000 is the amount that you will part with.
2. Tools of the trade
Movies don’t just happen. There things that you need in order to get the latest films:
a) A Faster Computer; “You need a really good computer and a fast Internet connection” Says Anthony Mbote, a movie-shop owner along Tom Mboya Street. “A good computer will enable you to copy your movies to DVDs.”
b) Duplicators: This is a machine that basically has several DVD writers attached to it. It will help you copy multiple discs at the same time, saving you time and potential customers. Anthony’s duplicator cost him KES 40,000, with 5 DVD writers. It is a second hand device which he says works like a charm.
c) Blank DVDs: A rim of 50 discs goes for around ksh750, depending on the manufacturer. It’s advisable to buy top quality disks if you want your customers to keep coming back for more.
3. Being the first seller of new movies
How do you make sure that you are the first person to get a movie as soon as it’s out?
One easy option is to buy it. There are online movie distributors whom you’ll have to pay via PayPal or Skrill. They’ll then give you a download link once the payments are done. This could cost between KEs 1000 and KES 2,000 per movie, depending on the seller and the exchange rate between the shilling and the dollar. But Ann Wanjiru, a movie shop owner in Umoja estate says that the cheapest and most convenient option is to let someone else buy it first so that you can buy a copy from them…for as little as KES 50. You can then make and sell as many copies as you want.
Other factors to consider would include materials such as posters to promote your business, DVD labels and CD pockets and sleeves. You need to be disquiet though, because there is so much backlash about copyright laws that you will need to learn before jumping into the business.
With that said, Good Luck in starting a movie shop business Kenya!
