Kensington Video prepares to enter the digital age

The sign on the front window now reads, “Kensington Video and Vidajuice Smoothie Bar,” as our town’s august video store inches one step closer to its projected October 1 grand reopening. If things go as planned — and listening to an excited Guy Hanford is as strong an indication as any that they will — the renewal will coincide with the introduction of a searchable online database of their 70,000+ titles.

“Everything hinges on our obtaining city permits,” Guy said, interrupting a business luncheon to take this clout-wielding reporter’s call, “and the process is progressing quite smoothly. Things will pick up once we are approved.”

The database isn’t the only leap the mom-and-pop shop are making into the digital age. There are newly established Facebook and Twitter pages and photos of the store’s rebirth will soon be viewable on Instagram.

Unable to differentiate between a juice bar and a space bar, Winnie, who insists on forever remaining computer-unfriendly, will be available for in-store consultations.

What to expect? “It will be different,” Guy confides, “but a good kind of different.” If that means holding onto the 1940s charm and losing the smell of wet-dog carpeting, I’m all for it!

And speaking of pooches, a lot of you have asked what will occupy the space once referred to by the Hanfords as the “BBC/Foreign room.” It will be the new home of Kensington Pet Supply, a store that, for the better part of a decade, served the community at their soon-to-be old location on Adams just west of Marlborough.

Here’s hoping dogs take to Winnie. Or is it the other way around?

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