HMV to close London Oxford Street store

My family relocated to London on a temporary assignment 50 years ago this week. I was 13 at the time. HMV was one of the first places that I discovered and was totally blown away. I'd never seen a place like that before and spent a lot of time there during our 18 month stay. Sorry to hear that it's going away.

 

If we're being honest, FOPP is a dim shadow of its former self these days too.

With the greatest respect to @bhazen, I can honestly say I have never given the passing of the OurPrice chain a second thought. Always a poor third to HMV and Virgin, IMHO, and in the days when Tower Records had a few outlets over here, a poor fourth. (@Rosskolnikov, the store on Regent Street you're thinking of was almost certainly the Tower store at the bottom of Regent Street on Piccadilly Circus, which became a Virgin store when Tower shut up shop. Both long gone now, of course, I can't think what occupies that site at the moment.)

 

I was just in that HMV a couple of weeks ago.
It has a reasonable vinyl selection, i bought 4 or 5 albums.
For a city that size, central London doesn't have a huge number
of really good stores for new releases. Rough Trade East is pretty
good, and there are some smaller speciality places, but the loss
of a place like HMV just drives more sales to Amazon.

 

That was just a basic stripped shop anyway. Basic chart music at best latest movies/cds. Guess downloading/online is killing physical media. Hope Fopp survives.

 

I was in that HMV in December and it was very busy. I've only read the Retail Gazette story but I haven't seen any other articles so maybe it's not definite or it will move to another location in London.

I do prefer Fopp, though. Much better selection and it feels more like a record shop if that makes sense.

 

It may have been mentioned before but HMV Canada went into receivership last Friday and all 102 stores across the country will close in the next few months.

 

If Fopp is closed guess folk will have to buy online. Or, get it in second hand shops.
HMV should open up another smaller branch in oxford street (camden).
Hard to compete with shoe shops and Primark in this day and age I guess. Folks have to get off their azz and start buying in shops per se, this applys to second hand music stores as well.

 

Yes, it became a Zaavi store, then they went out of business, and a handbag business took over...

 

Sign of the times I guess, on line stuff, sky-high rents, etc. I usually pop into this one as I often work just round the corner, it's OK but not really what I'd expect from a flagship store.

 

A lot of Fopp stores did close though around the time that HMV in the UK got into trouble, there are less than 10 now across the UK, I think. Grateful there's a very good one in the centre of Edinburgh.

I remember visiting St Andrews one time and a Fopp had opened to my amazement, guess they were trying to tap into the student/tourist market. It was gone within a couple of years when the parent company collapsed.

HMV had a decent store in Princes Street in Edinburgh that closed 6 months ago, though they did resurface in a shopping mall in the Leith area of the city a month later. I believe that is just a temporary until they can find somewhere back into the centre.

I'm not surprised they've abandoned a no doubt expensive rent in Oxford Street, they seem to have a savvy management who will squeeze every margin and have no qualms about closing stores that are loss making.

 

And how rubbish will that be? Amazon's prices are already much higher than they were (I can get most things cheaper or almost identical price in store at Fopp or they will order for me), and if a major bricks and mortar chain go under they will up them more.

I understand that Amamzon is great for people outside the big towns and cities but get used to them getting gradually more expensive.

 

Actually having said it's not up to much I did get the Light in the Attic release of the Louvin Brothers 'Satan is Real' LP in there last time for a decent price.

 

Fopp in Edinburg is pretty good, usually come out of there with a purchase or two.

 

Rubbish "?
Mega. I don't visit London often.
But, I always spend in FOPP!!!
Feel like Charlton Heston in the last scene of the planet of the apes..a wtf moment.

 

Weren't there a few HMV shops in Tokyo that sold mostly CDs and closed a few years ago? I'd heard HMV has rebranded itself as a vinyl store there but wondered if that was correct.

 

The Nottingham branch is also top drawer!

 

You're quite right. HMV did leave the Japanese retail sector some years ago as CD sales slumped. I don't remember when exactly, but I think it was around 2010/2011. It was something of a surprise when they launched a brand new shop, focused mainly on vinyl, in Shibuya a few summers back (2015, if my memory is correct). I was sceptical that it would survive, but it continues to do well. It's about 80% vinyl, 15% CDs and 5% cassettes now. HMV opened a second shop in Shinjuku in the autumn of 2016, and that has a similar mix of music. Both shops have regular events, DJ sessions, in-store events, sales etc... and keep things happening.

 

Just go on Amazon. Never leave your house, listen to and buy records all day/night.

 

Yes, that's now a huge Primark - things have changed

 

oops, sorry Raphph, didn't see your post

 

I hope so too - Fopp's an excellent shop

 

True but frightening quiet every time I go there
Rent must be high there as well
At least the HMV oxford street could capture some of the tourists spend
Gone are the days when you could spend a whole day at Virgin and HMV in oxford street then stroll down to Piccadilly to get those US imports from Tower

 

Fopp's 'closed down' twice before; first time they were closed for a couple of months in 2007 before HMV bought them and they re-opened. Then in 2013 when HMV went bust they were all due to go until HMV was bought by Hilco.

 

The one in Takashimaya mall in Shinjuku was a GREAT loss since the lady friend loves to spend countless ours in there.

 

Sorry, must be as it's early here, but I don't understand your reply.

'Rubbish' will be when Amazon, apart from maybe a few independent stores, is the only place left to buy new physical product in the UK. That's what I was trying to say.