Jumbo Video is a Canadian brand of franchised video stores. The brand is was previously owned by Le SuperClub Vidéotron, a division of Quebecor Media, which maintained corporate-owned stores until 2018. As of 2019, Jumbo Video is now owned by Jumbo Video Microplay located in London, Ontario Canada.
History
Jumbo Video was founded in May 1987 and quickly grew into one of Canada’s largest video rental chains, at one point claiming to be the third-largest player in the Canadian market. The chain became a fan favorite not only for its vast movie selection but also for its unique tradition of offering free popcorn to every customer — whether they rented a movie or not.
Its video game subsidiary, Microplay, was established in 1986 and later acquired by Jumbo Video in the late 1990s to strengthen the company’s presence in the booming video game rental market.
By the early 2000s, however, Jumbo Video faced ongoing financial struggles. In 2004, the company’s assets were purchased by Quebecor Media, leading to a rebranding of the chain. From that point, Jumbo Video became the English Canadian counterpart of Quebec’s Le SuperClub, with both brands sharing similar marketing strategies. After the closures of Blockbuster Canada and Rogers Video between 2011 and 2012, Le SuperClub and Jumbo Video together represented the largest remaining video rental network in Canada.
As of early 2015, the official Jumbo Video website listed 11 stores — five in Ontario and six across Atlantic Canada.