When I was a kid it was pretty common to find movies for rent at the local convenience store or tanning salon or some such small business. But I realized, when I visited my hometown not long ago, that it’d been years since I saw last saw anything like that. There’s RedBox of course, but what I’m talking about is having the actual movie cases on actual shelves that you have to pick up and take to the counter. Does any place that’s not exclusively a movie rental store like Blockbuster still have anything like that?
My friend works at his family’s convenience store in a town sort of in the sticks of Ohio. They still rent movies there. He usually rents them first 
We were in Nowheresville, Ohio, a few months ago and passed a sign that said Pizza and Video Carry-Out! Took all our strength to restrain ourselves from going in and saying “Nah, we’ll watch it here!”
I only see it done in rural places anymore, especially larger gas stations and truck stops. It’s probably only a matter of time before traditional movie rentals fall out completely as more and more people get their content online or through their TV provider (or through Netflix).
Not sure about small stores, but the Redbox DVD rental machines are in many grocery stores around here in NC. I suppose small stores could get them too if they generate enough rentals.
Funny thing is that in Seattle a lot of the larger corner stores will have video sections. Here in Tacoma, there’s one a 20 minute walk away. It’s probably since in densely packed areas there’s no room for Best Buy or Wal-Mart, which is where most DVD’s are sold these days, and fewer big rental places. So if you want an impulse viewing of a DVD, corner stores are still an option.
I think there’s one near my Gramma’s house, out in the middle of nowhere, PA.
The only gas station in the village I live near has DVD rentals. Back in the early 80’s before it burnt down the village grocery store rented videos & players on the CED format. I remember watching Blade Runner on CED. In the mid 80’s to early 90’s the gas station rented VHS and had a selection of NES games for rental too.
I’m seeing those at grocery stores and 7-11’s here in the Sacramento, California, area. Even hotels use them. Other than that, I’m not seeing rentals outside of the video stores anymore.
Redbox seems to be doing well enough that their kiosks keep popping up around here. First inside grocery stores and just the other day saw one outside a drug store for the first time. For when you really want to rent “Year One” at 4am I guess. A small business running their own DVD rental side-business probably can’t operate as efficiently as Redbox, especially at $1 a pop.
I see some DVDs for sale in various grocery and convenience stores, but there are two of these Redbox vending machines in our small town.
I’m seeing a lot fewer rentals in video stores these days. The last time I got dragged to a Blockbuster I was taken aback by the amount of empty space on and between shelves, and it seemed like half the merchandise they had consisted of games for rent and videos for sale.
It seems like online providers have eaten their lunch, with RedBox cleaning up the scraps.
I was traveling last weekend, near Bedford, PA. I stopped for gas and went in to get coffee. I was surprised to see a large selection of porn discs for rent.