HMV closes 63 UK stores, all Irish stores

[Jimbob]

Another casualty of the high street

 

So it would seem another high-street retailer could be close to going into administration.

 

Thoughts and opinions

 

My thoughts, except for the fact i hate seeing people lose jobs, is good riddance if this is the case. Overpriced, even for the older stock. Bad service as well.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing them saved, but if so then they need to be a little more competitive in the market.

[Dcubed]

They're not close to administration, they already HAVE entered administration.

 

It will be announced officially tomorrow, but it's happening.

 

This is a disaster for the high street presence of games, music and movies. With the sole exception of the rotting corpse of Game and the puny and shambolic selection of titles in supermarkets, online stores have pretty much fully taken over now.

 

Console manufacturers and game publishers are now at the almighty mercy of Amazon. POS methods of marketing are now rendered useless (with instore console demos now being useless - No longer will people be able to experience a console for themselves before they buy it, without being lucky enough to know a friend who has one!) and the battle for shelf space (that would normally lend an air of legitimacy to a console) is rendered moot.

 

I can't see any way that this will benefit anyone, especially with new consoles just launching. It's a disaster that will see the UK market shrivel up into the equivalent of a used toilet roll.

 

Thank God that we share the same language as the US, or else we'd see a lot less games being released over here - cause we're becoming a completely irrelevant market!

[Daft]

Apart from being desperate for a single present I honestly can't remember the last time I bought with a movie, game or music from the high street. Good riddance. Next, the whole goddamn high street.

 

It's a shame about the lost jobs, though.

[Josh64]

The prices weren't always great but HMV was fantastic for Wii games. They had all the obscure or fairly low key titles and it was a huge section. It was the only place I could find Boom Street on the high street (GAME didn't even know what it was) and also had the likes of Let's Tap, Fragile Dreams and Klonoa in on day one.

 

Alas, online shopping can't be beaten!

[Jimbob]

Indeed, it is a sad day indeed. As much as i dislike HMV for it's service, there are only a few places left that sell DVD's, CD's and stuff. Thats IF HMV actually close, who knows they may not close.

 

But didn't a Comet director join HMV well before Comet closed, maybe he did the same damage. HMV is a dying breed, and it's been said that online media for music has truly taken over. Places like Amazon have the balls of the market now.

[Iun]

I'm very sad about this because my oldest friend (I've known him for 29 years) just managed to reconnect after a five-year absence in December. He's a security guard at HMV and one of the genuinely nicest people you could meet. His girlfriend is a bit of a bitch, but she injured her back last year and has been drawing disability allowance because she can't go back to work for the local council. Essentially he's the sole breadwinner and they have a mortgage.

 

On the other hand, I hate pe the fact that the place seemed overpriced even when there was almost no online competition.

[Sheikah]

HMV was for people just casually browsing without any real need for anything. Consequently I used to often walk out without buying anything.

 

Online is cheaper, often a day before release. No real use for shops like this anymore...

[Cube]

Thank God that we share the same language as the US, or else we'd see a lot less games being released over here - cause we're becoming a completely irrelevant market!

 

The retailers are becoming a completely relative market - video games are still a massive, massive market, especially here in the UK (and still increasing). Other European markets are much smaller and European releases are still translated into other languages.

 

The closure of high street stores is more to do with a generational shift. Think about it - it's mainly parents who use high street stores, because that's what they were used to. Now, the parents have grown up with online stores and the internet - it's natural for them to use online stores.

 

And with online stores being cheaper and - in the case of pre-orders - faster, who can blame anyone for using them? Also, Play.com isn't a sign for worry -their entire business was based on a tax loophole.

 

With the state of retailers, it will be interesting to see what Sony and Microsoft have planned for their next consoles. Neither want the bad press of "destroying" retailers - hence why digital games cost so much.

 

Now, on top of the retailer situation, digital purchases are now common (Apple and Google have helped a lot in that transition) and buying direct from the manufacturer is no longer a strange thing to do - the industry is evolving to "cut out the middleman".

 

The internet also allows for a much greater awareness of the product. An increase in tours, plus the possibility of putting demos in other places (I'm sure they could advertise in supermarkets, with demo units), I think the way we buy games will significantly change over the next few years.

 

We certainly don't have to worry about a shortage of games - quite the opposite.

[Jimbob]

HMV was for people just casually browsing without any real need for anything. Consequently I used to often walk out without buying anything.

 

Online is cheaper, often a day before release. No real use for shops like this anymore...

 

True, i tended to go into HMV and use the Amazon scanner to get the item for a lot cheaper than was offered in-store. For example, Game of Thrones on Blu-ray was £12 cheaper on Amazon than the £40 in HMV

[Fierce_LiNk]

I do still quite enjoy going into HMV and browsing at the deals or cheap offers for certain films. Sometimes you can pick up decent films for 3 quid in there.

 

But, for new cds, tv shows or films (new as in just recently released, may even be day of release), places like Amazon just kill the need for it. I've seen CDs priced at £15 or more in HMV in the past and it is just soul-destroying. I wonder if this has changed. Still, why pay more when you can get it cheaper elsewhere?

 

I will be sad to see it go. I'm quite fond of the store, really. As I much as I doubt it will happen, it would be fantastic to see somebody come in and take this space in the market, someone that can compete with the online prices. Won't happen.

[Mr-Paul]

CDs and old DVDs always seem quite competitively priced compared to online, especially if you go for their 3 for £10 deals, etc. Good for picking up old things you missed. Games and new DVDs though are extortionate, and there's too much of a focus on gadgets/t-shirts now. I guess they've been hit hard by the recession, and also people buying/illegally downloading music online/spotify/youtube.

 

Hopefully it will survive, I love having a browse in there when I go into town, even if I'm not looking for anything in particular.

[Ramar]

True, i tended to go into HMV and use the Amazon scanner to get the item for a lot cheaper than was offered in-store. For example, Game of Thrones on Blu-ray was £12 cheaper on Amazon than the £40 in HMV

 

Glad I wasn't the only one browsing HMV and then finding I could save myself a whole lot more with the Amazon App.

 

I think that alone tells the tale of HMVs demise. They'll spin it on habits changing to downloading (legal and illegal), however they didn't stay competitive. Not even with their own website, for example a Naruto dvd in store was £26 on HMV's own website £16 or £17 (I forget which). How can they justify that mark up?

 

Hopefully they survive, the high street needs a media store. It just needs one that is fucking it's customers over.

[Cube]

Does anyone else also thing that HMV should have spent a little bit more money on lighting? While not as bad as the "crack den" look of GameStation, it still wasn't particularly inviting.

[Jimbob]

Glad I wasn't the only one browsing HMV and then finding I could save myself a whole lot more with the Amazon App.

 

I think that alone tells the tale of HMVs demise. They'll spin it on habits changing to downloading (legal and illegal), however they didn't stay competitive. Not even with their own website, for example a Naruto dvd in store was £26 on HMV's own website £16 or £17 (I forget which). How can they justify that mark up?

 

Hopefully they survive, the high street needs a media store. It just needs one that is fucking it's customers over.

 

Indeed, i was spotted by a HMV staff member doing this. They simply just said to me, and to be fair they were right. "If it's cheaper there, buy it there".

[CoolFunkMan]

Oddly enough, I was out with some mates earlier on, and we were talking about this when it was all speculation, and how it would effect a friend of ours, as he works in a HMV near us. Within 15 minutes of this, he posted the administration news on Facebook.

 

To be honest, this does seriously suck, a lot. I still find HMV good for certain albums and decent sale deals. I feel sorry for anyone likely to loose their job too.

 

Question is, what would be next for HMV... Would they close up shop completely? Do what GAME did, and close down a number of their stores (although I think they did that before)? Or perhaps become an online only retailer?

[Ganepark32]

To be honest, I'm surprised they've lasted as long as they did. With a major move towards iTunes, Amazon, and what-not, they were never going to be able to keep up with music sales. And the pricing on their DVDs, as others have said, are ridiculous at times (Although there are good prices to be had occasionally).

 

I'll be sad to see it go if it does cause to closure of stores. I do still buy CDs, although admittedly I've been buying them pretty much solely from one of the few remaining Fopp stores open in Edinburgh which generally has good prices on CDs and DVDs that tend to undercut by quite a bit.

 

But saying that, I have managed to pick up import albums and EPs every now and then from the big HMV in Edinburgh that have been quite a bit cheaper than they were on Amazon and I've always had good service in the stores when I've bought stuff (something that can't be said for my experiences in Fopp) and been able to have a chat about music or movies whenever I'm buying.

 

So yeah, I'll be sad to see it go if it does but I'm not really surprised. And yes, I too regularly browse the shelves of HMV with no intention of buying when I've got time to kill waiting for a bus.

[Ramar]

Question is, what would be next for HMV... Would they close up shop completely? Do what GAME did, and close down a number of their stores (although I think they did that before)? Or perhaps become an online only retailer?

 

Difference is, GAME had many towns with several shops in close proximity. It's a lot rarer to see two HMVs close by.

[CoolFunkMan]

Difference is, GAME had many towns with several shops in close proximity. It's a lot rarer to see two HMVs close by.

 

Fair point, there were always more GAME/GameStation stores, compared to HMV. So I guess that wouldn't be such a viable option then... :/

[Beast]

It's a bit sad to hear this as I've found some cool bargains in there such as Xbox 360 games for £5 and cheap DVDs too. Funnily enough, I was only thinking of popping in the shop where I used to work (it closes down today...good riddance...*ahem*) and was going to go in there to have a look at the blu-ray movies they had but decided against it.

 

I feel so sorry for the people who have lost their jobs though. Genuinely upsetting and I can only imagine how hard it must be for them.

[Guy]

This is absolutely tragic. I still have a £20 gift card to spend in there.

 

HOLD ON JUST A LITTLE LONGER HMV. BE STRONG.

[Platty]

Sad news really but like many I rarely buy my stuff from HMV these days. I think the last thing I bought in HMV was a star wars ep IV movie poster and a couple of funny books for secret santa. Can't remember the last time I actually purchased a CD, DVD or game from them. Like you guys, the prices just don't compare to online prices.

 

I always popped in there though every shopping trip for some reason. Have a browse what's on offer but then go home and order on play.com (FUCK I need to start using amazon now...). I still buy CD's you see. Don't have an iTunes account or anything like that. I must fill every available wall space with optical media. Screw digital :P

[Guy]

Pretty soon the only entertainment source on the high street will be a pop up stall selling Netflix/Spotify subscriptions and a bunch of online gaming points cards. That actually makes me kind of sad, but only because it goes against what I'm used to.

 

Where the hell am I supposed to go when my girlfriend drags me shopping now?

[Sheikah]

Does anyone else also thing that HMV should have spent a little bit more money on lighting? While not as bad as the "crack den" look of GameStation, it still wasn't particularly inviting.

 

I actually thought this suited the shop's atmosphere, sorta. Really, music isn't the kind of thing I'd associate with bright lighting.

 

I also preferred the gamestation feel to GAME. Something about the lighting and space in GAME. Feels like walking into Dignitas.

[The Bard]

Yeah, I hated the look of Game. I'd get a burning, acrid sensation on my skin every time I walked in. Not sure if that was because of the lighting or because of the absolute blood sucking vampires employed there.

[Paj!]

I like HMV. The only shop like it left.

 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE WORLD