Stranger Things 4: Is Family Video a real store?
By Cody Schultz
Stranger Things season 4 is streaming now on Netflix and the new season has left fans with a lot to unpack.
A few months have passed since we last left stepped foot in Hawkins and a lot has changed for many of our characters, but there are a few constants this season. Among them is that Steve and Robin are still working together, now at Hawkins’ Family Video store which actually plays a pivotal role in the season… but we’ll save those spoilers for later.
If you’ve made it to this particular piece, chances are you’re currently watching the season and wondering whether the video store where Robin and Steve work happens to be yet another work of fiction created for the show or if it happened to be real.
So is Family Video a real place?
Is Family Video real?
There are many fictional things about Stranger Things, but Family Video is not one of them! That’s right, the video store franchise where Steve and Robin work in the show is a real video store franchise that once operated more than 800 stores nationwide, including many stores located in Indiana!
Are there any Family Video stores still open?
Sadly, like many other video store franchises, Family Video was forced to shut down its remaining stores in 2021. After 42 years, the franchise announced the closure of its remaining 248 video rental locations on January 6, 2021, citing the COVID pandemic as the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
While perhaps not as widely known, Family Video actually managed to outlast its national competition by keeping its stores open longer than Blockbuster, Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video. It’s an impressive feat, given streaming shut the others down far earlier than 2021!