HMV returns to London for the first time since 2019, with its old/new store (re)opening on November 24th. More here.
It was back in 2019 that HMV found itself in a sorry state. It was losing stores, staring a collapse in the face, and not for the first time. And one of the casualties of that era was the firm’s space on Oxford Street in London, a road where it’d had a presence for nearly 100 years.
Whilst in the years since HMV has got its head above water, with over 100 stories operating around the country, it’s not had a London presence since then (although sister store Fopp has been doing rather well). We’re not the most London-centric entertainment outlet, but it still felt quite telling that the city was HMV-free.
In fact, more recently, the site of the firm’s once first store has in more recent times been operating as one of those really odd and how the hell do they make money American candy stores, that have permeated London with the skill of a Doctor Who enemy.
Now though, as announced earlier this year, HMV’s return to Oxford Street is nearly complete. The site of that first store, 363 Oxford Street, is once again the home of HMV, and the company has announced a reopening on Friday 24th November 2023.
London losing one American candy store. London getting its HMV back. pic.twitter.com/Po0dxB1Bu2
— Film Stories: magazines, podcast, live shows, web (@filmstories) November 10, 2023
More recently, HMV stores have become less about DVDs and Blu-rays and more about vinyl music, Funko Pops and pop culture merchandise. But we’re still promised that the Oxford Street store will stock over 8,000 DVDs, Blu-ray and 4K discs, on top of 20,000 physical media music products as well.
I’m happy to take that kind of line up over overpriced imported American sweets, thank you very much.
We’ll leave the last words on this story to Doug Putman, the man who bought the chain in 2019 and has, in full fairness, been the rocket fuel behind its continuance.
“Our new hmv shop concept and fan-focused offer is really working for us, with hmv once again becoming a mainstay on the UK high street. The return to Oxford Street and re-opening of our flagship is a culmination of the team’s hard work over the past four years and as a business we see it as the launchpad for an exciting new era for hmv”, he said in a statement.
None of us thought we’d be reading a statement like that when the chain went under.
