Rumours they might go into admin in the next few days would be a shame to see them go. Despite being overpriced it's not bad to kill some time in plus people losing jobs is never good
Was in the Piccadilly Circus branch today - 25% off sale on pretty much everything. I wonder if they are trying to generate as much cash as possible quickly. Shame to seee them disappear - have a mate works in their property management department, who moved there from Borders...
My partner's brother used to work for them, still knows a few people there. He said over xmas he'd be surprised if they see another one. Their business model has had it, the only people who buy CDs, DVDs there are pensioners who don't have the internet. The last couple of years they've opened a shop in Lewisham for December and closed it after New Year. Didn't bother this year. I think there's space for this sort of shop in a major centre (not sure whether Grimsby qualifies), but people generally aren't prepared to pay prices that reflect the additional "browsing IRL" cost. (Of course they're also stuffed because they pay taxes that their competitors don't). Agree it would be sad for them to go, not least for those who work there, but there's no money in it.
Amazon's the cause, might have to cash in my 25 quid cashcard as soon as they do, get a shit tonne of dvd's etc for half the price wouldn't be terrible
Been expecting it for a while tbh. Amazon's just unstoppable now. This is an online world now.
I'm gutted about this one. Although not gone (yet) the writing seems to be on the wall. This the one shop I cant walk past without going in, I nearly always buy something. We HMV go that will leave Amazon and supermarkets selling music and films.
@rananegraI think there's space for this sort of shop in a major centre (not sure whether Grimsby qualifies),
The Grimsby store is in a big undercover 'mall'. It sells a lot of CD/DVDs very cheaply. I mostly buy older, what I consider 'classic' albums and pick up a lot of bargains in there. Their prices compare favourably with the big stores round here, Tesco, Asda. It might be that at last the chains like HMV have given local managers some licence to set their own prices rather than nationwide pricing policies set by an accountant based in London, New York or Peking. Waterstones which was at one time joined with HMV have dropped their prices quite radically in recent months, but W'Stones is now owned by a Russian Billionaire. Very nobly, I make a point of buying in HMV, W H Smiths and Waterstones as well as other, specialised local shops. I like to feel and smell the goods and enjoy 'shopping',... The thought of buying everything online is quite appalling, BUT I still buy stuff online as I am not 'made of money'
they have just set up a second new store in bluewater? why do this when your in so much trouble?
it could well be HMV is shutting the old, worn out, non-profitable stores and is concentrating on new, well positioned stores .. or they have opened a store which will close soon
Tried charging me £52.99 the other day for FIFA13 though. Anyone pricing anything at that sort of price never has a chance of competing with Amazon or even supermarkets
Tried charging me £52.99 the other day for FIFA13 though. Anyone pricing anything at that sort of price never has a chance of competing with Amazon or even supermarkets
My partner's brother used to work for them, still knows a few people there. He said over xmas he'd be surprised if they see another one. Their business model has had it, the only people who buy CDs, DVDs there are pensioners who don't have the internet.
Oi - I bought 2 CDs in there today! (need them for the car and anyway wanted Michael Bradley's sleeve notes for The Undertones Hypnotised)
I have vouchers to spend but been into a few stores recently and the CD selection has been terribly poor. I'm fairly sure the physical album format won't disappear completely but digital downloads dominate the market now and for me it's a bit sad. I enjoy getting a new album and flicking through the artwork while listening to it on my hi fi, I just really hope this isn't another nail in the coffin for that.
I can't believe they've lasted this long. I used to do their shareplans a few years ago and employees were jumping ship hourly. They even helped dig their own grave by pricing their products far cheaper online, giving people no incentive to go to the shop.
I download a fair bit, but still like buying CDs. Knew this was coming & had been trying to spend a load of vouchers I had been given for birthday/Christmas.
Was in Oxford St today & bought 3 CDs today & a set of earphones, but still have vouchers to spend...they just haven't had anything (on the tech side) in stock for weeks! Looks like the vouchers are useless now.
Feel terrible for the staff in there. Always found them really helpful & mostly knowledgeable.
I know they've been on the brink for ages . and people have mentioned reasons for their demise, but the thing that has always shocked me is how much stock they carried , piles of it , an example of how not to run a business , how do / did they ever pay for it before they sold it?
Cashflow must have killed them as well as people downloading stuff, wonder if they'll just go online instead.
I know that the economics dictate that the high street is essentially finished and this is another fairly significant step on the way, but I can't help but feel that I'm watching my country slowly die.
Tried charging me £52.99 the other day for FIFA13 though. Anyone pricing anything at that sort of price never has a chance of competing with Amazon or even supermarkets
exactly
I agree. It was an odd situation when virgin/zavvi disappeared - they almost went more expensive due to the lack of competition. However, this probably also meant ppl weren't willing to travel to see one music store, hence further price increases, etc etc.
At Xmas I wanted the Batman blu ray boxset. They had sold out. Weeks ago. Possibly one of the most in demand items out of stock 5 days before Xmas. Disaster.
They also tried turning their shop into a music clothing store recently. This didn't work either, it was a disaster.
I think the new Bluewater "store" was actually a pop-up space from what I saw the other week.
As for their stock, they did have a sale or return agreement with many of the big distributers last year,as part of the restructure (a number of them took a 5% stake in the business as well). Must be a helluva lot of the older stuff outside this agreement though.
Knew there was a reason I never give anyone a gift voucher as a present!!
Can never work that one out either. Never anyone in the one in Charlton. Bexleyheath always seems to be people buying newspapers, nothing else. Only time I've spent money in them is a few books at the airport branches.
Comments
I think there's space for this sort of shop in a major centre (not sure whether Grimsby qualifies), but people generally aren't prepared to pay prices that reflect the additional "browsing IRL" cost. (Of course they're also stuffed because they pay taxes that their competitors don't).
Agree it would be sad for them to go, not least for those who work there, but there's no money in it.
Been expecting it for a while tbh. Amazon's just unstoppable now. This is an online world now.
Where will i go when I'm being dragged around the shops?!
This the one shop I cant walk past without going in, I nearly always buy something. We HMV go that will leave Amazon and supermarkets selling music and films.
The Grimsby store is in a big undercover 'mall'. It sells a lot of CD/DVDs very cheaply. I mostly buy older, what I consider 'classic' albums and pick up a lot of bargains in there. Their prices compare favourably with the big stores round here, Tesco, Asda. It might be that at last the chains like HMV have given local managers some licence to set their own prices rather than nationwide pricing policies set by an accountant based in London, New York or Peking.
Waterstones which was at one time joined with HMV have dropped their prices quite radically in recent months, but W'Stones is now owned by a Russian Billionaire.
Very nobly, I make a point of buying in HMV, W H Smiths and Waterstones as well as other, specialised local shops. I like to feel and smell the goods and enjoy 'shopping',... The thought of buying everything online is quite appalling, BUT I still buy stuff online as I am not 'made of money'
ft.com/cms/s/0/c4096aee-5e82-11e2-a771-00144feab49a.html#axzz2HzAdSS4i
(need them for the car and anyway wanted Michael Bradley's sleeve notes for The Undertones Hypnotised)
Was in Oxford St today & bought 3 CDs today & a set of earphones, but still have vouchers to spend...they just haven't had anything (on the tech side) in stock for weeks! Looks like the vouchers are useless now.
Feel terrible for the staff in there. Always found them really helpful & mostly knowledgeable.
Cashflow must have killed them as well as people downloading stuff, wonder if they'll just go online instead.
At Xmas I wanted the Batman blu ray boxset. They had sold out. Weeks ago. Possibly one of the most in demand items out of stock 5 days before Xmas. Disaster.
They also tried turning their shop into a music clothing store recently. This didn't work either, it was a disaster.
Who is next?
As for their stock, they did have a sale or return agreement with many of the big distributers last year,as part of the restructure (a number of them took a 5% stake in the business as well). Must be a helluva lot of the older stuff outside this agreement though.
Knew there was a reason I never give anyone a gift voucher as a present!!