Bye bye HMV?

prowla

Well, I've been in HMV a number of times, and there are big queues.
So if that is failing then roll on!

velocirapta

Don't believe HMV will crash for another couple of years, sales aren't as big as last year but they are trying to pander to the technology crowd. They're also getting into digital downloading, which for someone like me who collects DVD's, Blu-Ray's, CD's, vinyls and even cassette tapes, that's disappointing. The general forced transition into non-physical product is disappointing as a whole. I see people 'buying' iTunes albums when for the same price you could often have a copy on CD or even better, on vinyl (genuinely better sound quality, plus artwork you can look at without the use of electricity?).

I'm in two minds about these chains shutting - on one hand, where can I get a cheap DVD from that is more likely to have stocked than Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda and where the staff have a little bit more insight into what I'm trying to find? On the other hand, you can get most things online for cheaper, so I'm usually only going to get something in-store that I know isn't cheaper online. Either way, who cares, maybe more independent stores will open, or HMV will kit themselves much like Fopp are doing at the moment - if you have ever visited one of the remaining Fopp stores, you'd find hundreds of sensibly-priced items and actually have trouble deciding what to buy. And they are owned by HMV. There's some kind of communication failure there.

johnny_storm

Last week I bought the Sarah Connor Chronicles on Blu Ray from HMV for £14.99, cheapest I could find it online was Sainsburys at £13.99

Thought an extra quid was well worth the convenience of getting it there and then and not waiting for things in the xmas post.

Carl31

I imagine HMV relies on spontaneous purchases nowadays. I always end up in the store, even if I have no desire to buy anything. With shelves and shelves of stuff, I imagine its hard not to pick something up you don't really need

The electrical side is a bit poor. loads of cool stuff to look at then go and buy online elsewhere, almost doing the online electrical competition a service

Carl31

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

Our permanent HMV store closed years ago, but for the past 2 years or so we've had a "pop up" version for the festive season.

A lot of the stuff is overpriced yes, but you can get stuff that you can't get in the supermarket.

I am not sure how Game have managed to survive. A particular DS game I wanted they were selling was £29.99, I got it from Amazon for £14.99! :eek:

the trade in aspect of game is what keeps it going, hence other retailers jumping on the band wagon. Trade in drives more profit than new games

Going4TheDream

Carl31 wrote: »

the trade in aspect of game is what keeps it going, hence other retailers jumping on the band wagon. Trade in drives more profit than new games

Spot on, many years ago my ex husband started a shop in our home town when the kids were small and it sold purely 2nd hand games and consoles. and I mean years ago when state of the art was the BBC and xs spectrum.... fast forward a few years, he had a 2nd shop in another town and after a couple of break ins in the first shop and he was approached by Game when he was selling the lease. The shop itself was off the main town but he had built up a reputation for the 2nd hand aspect and I suspect because he had a good reputation for many miles and a huge clientèle, this is what Game were buying it for.

He still has the 2nd shop and can only really compete with the likes of Game etc now as he can pay a little more as he doesnt have the big town rates, and gives a personal service but says its getting tougher with the likes of ebay and people selling their own stuff on line, although we have been divorced for 20 years I still chide him a little that he never pushed the online selling aspect as much in the early days but do remember packaging up stuff and sending it off once the cheques had cleared as a result of old fashioned sales from ads in computer shops. Needless to say the kids always had computers from a young age!

purch

Well HMV have outlasted Virgin Megastores, Fopp and Zavvi, and are a diverse group, not just a chain of 300 stores.

I think they are doing fine.

RevolvingDoor

I didn't realise they were still open!

With a lot of people downloading stuff you would wonder how many customers they have left.

Ronaldo_Mconaldo

I remember when singles used to cost about £4 a go. I mean what were they thinking, surely someone realised that charging almost a fiver for a CD with one song on it and then europop remix and a live version of that song is a business model that won't last forever.

As for Game i'm surprised they're still going. Last Christmas, Xmas eve actually we were in Bury and Game had big signs on the door saying that they could only accept cash, no debit/credit cards or gift vouchers. Thought that that would be the end of them but they're still going, although they're pretty much a second hand computer game shop now.

bluenoseam

HMV are in serious trouble, they might have customers & do sell things you can't get in supermarkets, but they're more expensive than online (both physical & digital) and ultimately can't survive much longer. Big picture they've stripped a LOT of assets (inclusive of a number of their live venues) & are grossly unpopular because of their high prices, essentially surviving on the good graces of suppliers! A bunch of their stock is on consignment & unless the new CE pulls a miracle out of the hat I don't see them being around in 2015.