Looks like HMV in the UK may survive after all...

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Sound of the Suburbs, Feb 3, 2019.

  1. Eric_Generic

    Eric_Generic Enigma

    Location:
    Berkshire
    Yes, this is just daft. The number of impulse purchases I've made because the price has caught my eye....I say impulse, but if it's something that's been on my radar and I was waiting for a reason to pull the trigger.

    EG.
     
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  2. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    CD still outsells Vinyl by magnitudes. Vinyl buyers still buy over the Internet. Why do you think these markets are any different? I've yet to be convinced any music chain is going to be able to sustain itself on only Vinyl sales. It always surprises me when someone writes off CD's based on a decline, when it's still the biggest selling physical medium.

    Still, if they decide to go the vinyl only route then they simply won't get any of my money. I've bought 220 or so CD's thus far this year, so I'd say I'm a pretty big buyer in personal terms. If they can't even pull in someone like myself, what chance have they got? None.

    Further, if vinyl only is their choice, they can go out of business tomorrow for all I care. They should concentrate on selling MUSIC, and not buying into a specific format, imo. It's their job to entice us to be customers, Something they're patently failing on.

    Understand - I'd love it if there was a good music store near me, and HMV are close, but they're simply not catering to anything I want. I have no reason to buy from there, even setting price aside. It's a weird model they've got going on. However, if they went out of business tomorrow, I'd likely not notice.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2019
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  3. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Exactly! :righton:
     
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  4. shanebrown

    shanebrown Forum Resident

    Location:
    Norfolk, UK
    What you are suggesting is that HMV have more space given over to vinyl than CDs, which is nonsense given how many CDs you have on display in the same space as vinyl. They are planning, apparently, to stock more back catalogue CDs in the future rather than just greatest hits albums, but changes can't be made overnight and changes take time. Their biggest problem, I think, is that they don't have the funds (presumably) to advertise. If they did, no doubt they would be able to publicise just how low their prices often are compared to online retailers. But most people seem to be judging them on how they were 5 years ago rather than what they are doing now.
     
  5. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    I'd guess a lot of people have been to the stores in the past and found them lacking. What they need is action, not good intentions. I have no issue with them selling Vinyl. In fact, I'd actively encourage them to do so. I'm simply saying it's of no interest to me. While my own personal taste isn't worth anything, I do think it's worth consdiering that people like myself are buying a lot of music, so you'd think we'd be somewhere onn the spectrum of their target audience.

    It's also worth remembering, the HMV I desire isn't some pie in the sky, it's simply a return to who they once were. They actively moved away from being a music store, largely while clutching at straws.

    Still, you're correct, more space is given over to CD's. So instead of having a lot of Vinyl, they have a lot of rubbish chart CD's and Greatest Hits packages. Yah!
     
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  6. jamo spingal

    jamo spingal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Still much prefer Fopp over HMV. I always go out of my way to visit Fopp, but seldom for HMV.
     
  7. DML71

    DML71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Wish I had the choice of either!
     
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  8. jamo spingal

    jamo spingal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I went to the mall that has HMV yesterday in Edinburgh and was impressed by the difference. I liked it. Definitely bigger focus on vinyl, but it was the layout, the look etc that had changed for the better.
     
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  9. Eric_Generic

    Eric_Generic Enigma

    Location:
    Berkshire
    They've ditched any notion of a chart, which will take some getting used to. It feels strange to see their traditional chart wall gone.

    EG.
     
  10. Sci-Flyer

    Sci-Flyer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Got an email from them the other day and you can now preorder new vinyl releases. Had a look on the website and their online shop isn’t fully back up so looks like preorders might be a first step.

    91 preordered vinyl releases available:
    Vinyl Pre-Orders
     
  11. sacdfan

    sacdfan Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I visited my local HMV the other day. I had a list of cds that I wanted but only walked out with one. I also hoped to order the Abbey Road deluxe edition from their website but I ended up ordering from Amazon for £14 less. They really have to be more competitive!
     
  12. oxenholme

    oxenholme Senile member

    Location:
    Knoydart
    I visited the Lancaster branch the other day and bought a CD. I was pleased with the range on offer and the prices weren't too terrible.

    The extremely dark decor puts me off a little, but happen that's because I am an ancient relic (= grumpy old man).
     
  13. Godbluff

    Godbluff Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Swings and roundabouts. In my experience HMV are cheaper than Amazon in a lot of cases, sometimes it's the other way round but for the most part they're about the same. I'm happy, for the most part, to give HMV my business unless there's a huge price differential, they're far from perfect but for those of us who don't have any decent indie shops locally they're all we have, so long may they continue.
     
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  14. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    The thing I'm noticing is that the vinyl prices are generally too high. Not much is under around £20.

    The ones I noticed are

    Michael Jackson - Off the Wall. Nothing special, single LP £26.99.

    REM - Reckoning. Again nothing special, single LP £27.99.

    Also, sections by massive rock bands like AC/DC were very small, only a few albums by each. So someone buys Back In Black or Number of the Beast, loves them, then goes for more and there's not much there. This sends the customer elsewhere, another shop if they're lucky or online, probably Amazon.

    It's rubbish like this that will send HMV back into trouble before long.
     
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  15. Here, here! ;)
     
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  16. To be fair to HMV that's a criticism that can be levelled at any shop, irrespective of what it's selling. Your argument, whilst perfectly valid, is basically the age old "high street versus online" one.
     
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  17. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Those prices for those albums are crazy though. Not exactly going to bring the customers they are desperate to attract rushing back in. Online shopping is here for good and HMV at least need to try and find a good reason for customers to get away from their homes and into their shops.

    £28 single LPs isn't one.

    I'll always buy at HMV above any online retailer, if they are competitive.
     
  18. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Last time I went to the one in Derby, all the CDs I was interested in (mainly deluxe edition stuff) were at least £3 more than they were on Amazon. HMV have been price matching Amazon in recent times but not that day apparently! I didn’t buy anything that day.

    HMV do sometimes have 2 for £30 deals on 4K Blu Rays though. Occasionally they’re cheaper than Amazon on this.
     
  19. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Some of their CD pricing is fine, a lot of it cheaper than Amazon. The problem is that they're throwing a lot of their effort into vinyl, which is ultimately still a niche but significant market. They are then pricing what they are concentrating on most very highly most of the time. There are some very good deals on vinyl, but not many. HMV shouldn't neglect the hundreds of thousands of people who still buy CDs. They still, even now with how uncool they seem to be and how much people want to put them down, outsell vinyl substantially.
     
  20. Jimmy Disco D

    Jimmy Disco D Forum Resident

    Location:
    Shropshire, UK
    I went into the Shrewsbury branch last weekend and was surprised by the improvement, they've replaced those awful crammed wall racks with floor standing ones with which had a lot more room in them. I'm sure the jazz section contained about 4 or 5 times more records than it used to as well.

    Admittedly, I didn't buy anything though.
     
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  21. Eric_Generic

    Eric_Generic Enigma

    Location:
    Berkshire
    Exactly. They are throwing a lot of money and weight behind flogging vinyl, but it's taken them so long to do so that the peak of this "revival" might already have passed, and will the people who want to spend a lot on vinyl LPs really be going to their local HMV anyway. Risky strategy.

    EG.
     
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  22. wallpaperman

    wallpaperman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Edinburgh
    Realistically, can you expect them to stock the majority of AC/DC’s large back catalogue, plus the back catalogues of dozens of other mega bands?

    I have no idea if their large back catalogue is readily available on vinyl or not at the moment, but either way it seems a bit much to expect.
     
  23. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    I think they should scale down and do what they do best. Smaller but well and intelligently stocked music stores with fair prices. Just stock records and CDs, possibly some films, and drop the tat which still is in every store. Those awful 'funko pop' dolls or whatever the **** the ugly things are, have a better position in store than the CDs in my local. Racks of vinyl are upfront, near the shop door, which is good, but only to a niche. Just as many people will look and think 'too expensive and a format I've never used or gave up on years ago'.

    Smaller stores also look busier. Whenever I go into HMV, the majority of the time not many people are in a big space. It looks dead. Busy smaller stores could be more appealing than big stores with one customer in every 15 feet or so.
     
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  24. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    Yes, they're a high profile music store and AC/DC's catalogue is in print. If they can't shift it they're doing something wrong. It's not that big a catalogue. About 14 studio albums.
     
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  25. norliss

    norliss Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cardiff, Wales
    Even as far back as I can remember in their hayday (1980s) HMV still sold video (VHS/Betamax and Laserdisc) so I truly think it's unrealistic to expect them to return to being a music-only shop, especially now given how physical music sales have been on the slide for a number of years.
     

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