HMV consigned to history?

[Digifiend]

HMV is to go into administration today. Looks like there won't be anywhere to pick up niche DVDs/CDs on the high street any more. They may have been expensive at times, but they were the last dedicated music and video shop that focused mainly on new goods rather than pre-owned.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I used to spend 20 or 30 quid there every week---70 quid was the most I spent there at once , I felt guilty afterwards.

Today, I rarely buy CDs or DVDs etc from shops, as like everyone else, I get stuff cheaper online.

Browsing through a shop is more 'real-worlde' though and it's a sorry reflection on modern living that this is the third major chain store in trouble recently.

In my city---and probably the others-----there's an explosion of thrift shops with 'everything for a quid' and these shops' business is booming.

Probably a bad thing, as it proves there's a lot less people with spending power.

[DavidKW]

I think another contributory factor is the growing emergence of (in the North anyway as far as I know) stores such as Cex, CD DVD Game & Laptop exchange shops.

I've got many DVDs I've been looking for so much cheaper than HMV & found some DVDs HMV did not stock which I've looked for. And they check the condition of them too - even kindly cleaned one for me when it looked dirty - played good too.

I once did order a DVD from HMV once - said they'd ring me when it arrived but didn't, so my in-store dogged determination prevented it being lost.

Assistant who served me was nice & knowledgeable (watches Uk shows made in 70s/80s before her time - beats the trash of TV today) though & had good conversations - that personal aspect of shopping will be missed - can't get that over a computer.

[starscape]

They were of very little use if your tastes were outside the mainstream. I had to use independent record shops as there was little chance of picking up the Blue Aeroplanes or the Band of Holy Joy from HMV or Virgin. Now, I can order them just as readily as others buy their Chris Rea or Girls Aloud.

Actually, I just subscribe to Spotify and add a few obscurities ripped, usually, from vinyl, then I have my music anywhere I want. Add in last.fm, and I have my own radio station, without listening to the endless 'banter' of DJs.

Its nice idea but unfortunately these expensive general shops have had their day. Whereas old bookshops, and niche music shops, though never a mint, probably still have a market.

[Digifiend]

Sounds like they put all their eggs in the wrong basket, why on Earth did they sell off their live venues and the Waterstones bookshop chain? The venues were profitable, and Waterstones has wound up outlasting it's former parent company, so they must be doing something right.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Apparantly I'm in the [only] one per cent who bothers with a seperates sound system at home these days---spotify etc is fine, I do use it but I still prefer physical media for most listening at home.

[Lew Stringer]

I bought a Beatles album (CD) I didn't already have from HMV the other day. 'A Hard Days Night'. Only took me 49 years to get around to buying it. No wonder shops are going out of business.

[AndyB]

Belfast has the advantage of the one remaining store in the HEAD chain, and it is worth having. HMV lost the chart wars to the supermarkets, and HEAD has excellent offers, usually a broader selection of back catalogue in a smaller space (much as that makes no sense whatsoever!) HEAD had closed for six months in the spring when its shop lease ran out, as it wouldn't commit for more than six months at a time, but it got an excellent street store unit in a prime position round the corner from its previous in-town shopping centre unit.

I made a point of visiting HMV last week to buy stuff (Paddington Bear and Mr Bean box sets) - basically to support the staff.

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

I was surprized to hear that Woolworths and C & A are still operating abroad-----Woolies are big in Germany , and C & A are thriving even further afield, apparantly!

I thought these companies were kaput, but no, they only upped sticks in the UK [sinking ship, and all that].......

[stevezodiac]

I buy 60s TV box sets mostly but when I went to HMV Oxford Street last Saturday they didn't have the ones I was looking for including the two seasons of The Invaders (deep voice: "A Quinn Martin Production"). I now pick up most of my box sets at the monthly comic fair including American sets like Here's Lucy.

[felneymike]

Belfast has the advantage of the one remaining store in the HEAD chain, and it is worth having.

Hack-tually, there's now one in Cambridge! I actually thought it was just a one-off independent, but now that I think about it, I can remember seeing them in other places when I was very young too.

HMV used to have a HUGE store in Cambridge, but it was closed and then moved to a much-smaller one, which downstairs was mainly a tablet / mp3 player sales office in the style of Apple stores. The upstairs has a far-less varied selection, primarily due to the fact there's a huge hole in the floor.

I still have a hard time beleiving the old Cambridge HMV has gone (to make way for another 3 phone shops). Used to waste hours in there finding all sorts of obscure stuff, cheap and nasty horror films and the like.

[Digifiend]

Some good news. Those useless vouchers everyone was so angry about are useless no longer, they're accepting them again from tomorrow.

[AndyB]

Hack-tually, there's now one in Cambridge! I actually thought it was just a one-off independent, but now that I think about it, I can remember seeing them in other places when I was very young too.

You must be really young - Head has only existed since Zavvi went belly-up

[Phoenix]

Head has only existed since Zavvi went belly-up

Perhaps if Zavvi had had a Head before it went belly up, it might not have bought Virgin!

[Gilly]

I personally don't think HMV will go I think it will be saved

Now Blockbuster video on the other hand could be a different story...