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 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 4:20 AM   
 By:   Thomas   (Member)

Sad news, but I guess not wholly unexpected given the number of retail chains that have disappeared from the UK High Street in the last few years and the declining number of people buying physical media. If anyone received a gift card for Christmas, spend it quick!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46699290

 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 4:45 AM   
 By:   litefoot   (Member)

Sad news, but I guess not wholly unexpected given the number of retail chains that have disappeared from the UK High Street in the last few years and the declining number of people buying physical media. If anyone received a gift card for Christmas, spend it quick!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46699290


They had actually become competitive since the last collapse. I'd bought stuff from them this year because they were cheaper than online stores. I suspect it's the streaming that's wearing them down. Physical media is on the way out.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 5:00 AM   
 By:   Hurdy Gurdy   (Member)

Don't forget they also have to rent buildings and pay staff AND pay quite hefty taxes.
While the online giants also do the former two, to some extent, they seem to get away with the latter one!!
Bricks and mortar don't stand a chance!

 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 5:08 AM   
 By:   Thomas   (Member)

Interesting comment from the chairman that the plummeting sales of DVD is mostly to blame..


The last visible bricks-and-mortar music retailer in the UK has 125 stores and 2200 staff, although despite being known primarily for music, Paul McGowan, the executive chair of HMV and Hilco, identified a declining DVD market as one of the main culprits in this situation. He said today:

“During the key Christmas trading period the market for DVD fell by over 30% compared to the previous year and, while HMV performed considerably better than that, such a deterioration in a key sector of the market is unsustainable.”

Clearly the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and similar streaming services have had a major impact when it comes to consumption of films and TV series. Music sales were relatively strong with HMV announcing only in October that they were the UK’s leading retailer of physical music (ahead of Amazon).

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 5:44 AM   
 By:   Rameau   (Member)


Physical media is on the way out.


Oh I'm not so sure, but buying it from a shop certainly is.

I think HMV fell between two stools. The big stores (I usually pop into the one in London's Oxford Street) are no where as big as they used to be, try buying soundtracks or some obscure classical work, or some not so well known pop, so you'll be unlucky. And they don't have the knowledgeable staff & unusual stock of the very small record shop (there are just a few of them around). I'm afraid I usually buy from Amazon, & more & more from ebay.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 9:48 AM   
 By:   HARRYO   (Member)

Really sad news if it actually comes to pass that they close the doors. You certainly would not go in there for any specialist Soundtrack etc, but where they seem to score and sometimes a great deal cheaper than Amazon is their selection of Blu Rays. Indeed our local store the Sunday before Christmas, it was as busy as I have ever seen it.

Their Premium Collection have many great titles - often two a month - consisting of Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Download, plus cards etc. Recent titles have included GRAND PRIX, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, WAIT UNTIL DARK, CLASH OF THE TITANS, DARK PASSAGE , and indeed two titles for next month already announced : TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT and KEY LARGO. Both first rate titles .

Their recent offer for two for £15, means you could have got VON RYAN'S EXPRESS with all the extras from the USA version including ISOLATED SCORE. Better get yours now just in case!

 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 11:02 AM   
 By:   The Mutant   (Member)

They closed their massive Toronto location years ago. I still miss that place. Bought so many soundtracks and dvds, laserdiscs and Blu-rays there.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 12:16 PM   
 By:   Hurdy Gurdy   (Member)

The TV news tonight said they're still trading/staying open at the moment as they search for any prospective new buyers.
Perhaps a streamlining of stores could happen?
Some of the flagship stores must turn a decent profit.

 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 12:40 PM   
 By:   Advise & Consent   (Member)

They closed their massive Toronto location years ago. I still miss that place. Bought so many soundtracks and dvds, laserdiscs and Blu-rays theee.

Same here in Montreal. Years before that, Sam the Recordman closed as well and for music lovers, Sam's closing was an even bigger deal.

 
 
 Posted:   Dec 28, 2018 - 2:43 PM   
 By:   Rameau   (Member)

The one I still miss is the huge Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus. A lovely place, you could sit on their comfy chairs reading various music magazines, they were the place to go for imports soundtracks/classics/pop, I could easily spend two hours in there, & rarely came out empty handed. Something in me died a bit when it closed down. I never liked the huge Virgin megastore, I always found it a cold unwelcoming place. All history now.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 1:55 AM   
 By:   Doug Raynes   (Member)

Excellent news! Sunrise Records who bought HMV Canada some years ago, has purchased HMV in the UK, saving most stores from closure.

"We know the physical media business is here to stay"!!

http://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/this-is-a-very-long-road-ahead-doug-putman-acquires-hmv-set-to-keep-100-stores/075202

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 3:34 AM   
 By:   Jehannum   (Member)

The one I still miss is the huge Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus. A lovely place, you could sit on their comfy chairs reading various music magazines, they were the place to go for imports soundtracks/classics/pop, I could easily spend two hours in there, & rarely came out empty handed. Something in me died a bit when it closed down. I never liked the huge Virgin megastore, I always found it a cold unwelcoming place. All history now.

Good times. No reason at all to visit London now.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 6:14 AM   
 By:   Thomas   (Member)

Good news that the majority of stores will be saved, but I'm a bit surprised that of the 27 that are now closed Oxford Street in London is one of them.

I do wonder how long it will last given the new owner wants to focus more on vinyl apparently. Is that sustainable?

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 10:16 AM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

Good news that the majority of stores will be saved, but I'm a bit surprised that of the 27 that are now closed Oxford Street in London is one of them.

I do wonder how long it will last given the new owner wants to focus more on vinyl apparently. Is that sustainable?


Sad that Fopp Manchester has bitten the dust. That and the corned beef hash at Sam’s Chop House were the two best things about Manchester.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 10:44 AM   
 By:   Thomas   (Member)

I'd never heard of Fopp before. What's the difference between it and HMV?

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 10:58 AM   
 By:   Xebec   (Member)

I visit the HMV in Manc Arndale whenever I'm back wom. Be a shame if they went out of business.

 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 11:28 AM   
 By:   ryanpaquet   (Member)

Excellent news! Sunrise Records who bought HMV Canada some years ago, has purchased HMV in the UK, saving most stores from closure.

"We know the physical media business is here to stay"!!

http://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/this-is-a-very-long-road-ahead-doug-putman-acquires-hmv-set-to-keep-100-stores/075202


Heard this on the CBC news this morning. Sunrise offers a decent selection on the latest soundtracks, and sells a ton of vinyl. I pop into a store at least once a month, there's 4 locations here in the Ottawa area.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 12:25 PM   
 By:   Xebec   (Member)

Excellent news! Sunrise Records who bought HMV Canada some years ago, has purchased HMV in the UK, saving most stores from closure.

"We know the physical media business is here to stay"!!

http://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/this-is-a-very-long-road-ahead-doug-putman-acquires-hmv-set-to-keep-100-stores/075202


Heard this on the CBC news this morning. Sunrise offers a decent selection on the latest soundtracks, and sells a ton of vinyl. I pop into a store at least once a month, there's 4 locations here in the Ottawa area.


They replaced the regina HMV a year or so ago, and there's a decent CD selection there. I'm glad it's about.

 
 
 Posted:   Feb 5, 2019 - 3:55 PM   
 By:   Tall Guy   (Member)

I'd never heard of Fopp before. What's the difference between it and HMV?

Fopp is like HMV’s cooler and weirder little brother. More non-mainstream stuff.

 
 Posted:   Mar 23, 2019 - 8:08 AM   
 By:   litefoot   (Member)

Did we discuss the closure of various stores in another thread? I can't remember.

Anyway, here is the list of 27 closures.

The initial 27:

Ayr, Bath, Bluewater, Bristol Cribbs, Chichester, Exeter Princesshay, Fopp Bristol, Fopp Glasgow Byres, Fopp Manchester,
Fopp Oxford, Glasgow Braehead, Guernsey, Hereford, Manchester Trafford, Merry Hill, Oxford Street, Peterborough, Queensgate, Plymouth Drake Circus, Reading, Sheffield Meadowhall, Southport, Thurrock, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge,
Watford, Westfield London, Wimbledon.

But... since then, 14 of these have reopened, namely:

Ayr, Braehead, Bath, Bluewater, Exeter, Glasgow Braehead, Glasgow Fopp Byres Road, Merry Hill, Plymouth, Reading, Sheffield Meadowhall, Thurrock, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge.

And in the last couple of weeks, some more not on the original list of 27 have closed or are closing:

Solihull Mell Square (failure to agree rent with landlords)
Belfast Donegall Arcade (failure to agree rent with landlords Sports Direct, will close April 28th - may reopen elsewhere)
York (closes April 28th)
Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays (failure to agree rent with landlords, closes March 31st)

 
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