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

While I don't expect HMV to be less expensive than Amazon, I also don't expect it to be twice as expensive. If they priced those records at £17.99, then it would still work out ok as you don't have to pay shipping or search for an add-on to take you above the £20 amount that qualifies for free shipping.

January is typically a slow month for retail, so hiking prices is somewhat unusual.

 

It's bizarre. I quite often pay a little bit more in HMV for vinyl and don't really mind that. I'd rather support them than Amazon, but they are testing loyalty. I have a feeling the record companies are reluctant to give them good deals when buying in, because of HMV's previous problems. I hope they sort themselves out.

 

Popped into hmv coventry today was going to buy soft cell 12 mixes 3 cds they wanted 13.99 for it!!! did'nt bother but just ordered it on amazon for 5.99 with autorip! I really don't give them long with the way they are putting prices up!!!

 

This is where HMV does itself no favours.

HMV on line also appears to have it for £5.99 and claims it is in stock. Whereas on Amazon it says 1-3 weeks for delivery.


The Twelve Inch Singles | CD Album | Free shipping over £20 | HMV Store

 

I bought this Soft Cell CD a few weeks ago. It's superb and a bargain. The mastering is good too, sounding very much like the original 12" singles.

 

I did'nt know hmv online had it for 5.99 or I would have asked if they could match it! but they would probably have said no!!!

 

I look forward to hearing it I have got tainted love and bedsitter 12 inch from when they came out but have not had a turntable for years, I think they are both great!

 

Think you are right, they likely would have refused.

 

The 12 inch version of Torch is great.

 

Thanks I will have a listen later as it has autorip with it.

 

Their response would have been ok in 2000 not so much in 2020 on many levels. Depth and range of products?

 

You are right. They are saying, in not so many words, that they will charge what they like if they want to, as long as the overall impression is of offering stuff at reasonable prices. It's not a proper personal reply, it's a PR spiel that HO is probably told to wheel out whatever the occasion. You see it in so many walks of life now, sadly.

EG.

 

They took over two weeks to reply with that!

 

A few days ago I got an email from HMV advertising "O Brother Where Art Thou" on vinyl for £17.99 online, an album I've always meant to pick up, for some reason it listed it as a single album, so I asked a friend who was in the vicinity of my local HMV to see if it was indeed the double, guess what, they wanted £22 in store, so I got in from Amazon who were matching the £17.99 price and had it correctly listed as a double LP, my hopes for HMV's salvation are rapidly fading.

 

The sad thing is as a near lifelong HMV customer and once employee, aside from good people losing their jobs and it not being a good thing for records and CDs, I'm beginning to not care whether it survives or not. I certainly don't enjoy being in HMV anymore. As it is at this moment, it's depressing.

 

It's like they got the message, started getting rid of all the merchandise, brought back records and started becoming competitive on price and then somewhere along the way lost their nerve and started back peddling, all the merch was back in time for Christmas, the prices crept up and the only reason we still have the vinyl is that CDs are dying so they don't need the space, I'm also beginning to feel like I no longer care, however much I want HMV to succeed, they have to actually deserve it and I'm not sure they do the way things are going.

 

I'm not really sure what people are expecting them to say. There aren't many businesses that would go into great lengths about their business plans, should competitors take advantage. I've seen some strange pricing in many stores, including independent record stores (my local store charges around £8 for an used CD, so you really have to stick to the rare ones which are often priced less than common stuff you can buy off ebay for a Pound).

Of course, HMV no longer have Virgin/Zavvi around to keep them on their toes. They are the last entertainment chain store left on the high street. Even That's Entertainment has gone.

 

I've seen some good record stores close that I miss more (Reveal Records in Derby and Volcanic Tongue in Glasgow for example).

 

I can't see many rivals being scared of the hardly wonderful deals and prices HMV are offering.

I said that I didn't expect HMV to go into detail on their pricing strategies and prices they get charged when I spoke to them. I remember how seriously they took that kind of information when I worked there. It was more to put a point across that if they can't be competitive then there's a serious risk of a third administration. My local HMV is almost always near empty. There's hardly anyone buying stuff most of the time. Most of my friends still buy records and CDs. None buy from HMV. If they can't get the people who buy what they sell in the shop, they obviously can't do as well as they should and at worst can't survive much longer. There's no incentive at all to go to HMV at the moment. Even price matching other outlets isn't really an incentive at this time of year with bad weather. That's a problem with most shops now though.

HMV still think they are competitive. That's just laughable.

 

HMV were a lot better when there was a Virgin in town because they pricematched each other. It would be better if they returned to pricematching Amazon.

 

Spot on! Less profit on each item sold, but more customers in store, more sales and more people talking positively about HMV can't do any harm. I'd rather support them than Amazon by far.

 

The weird thing about HMV was at one time they appeared to pricematched their own Fopp chain.

I'm not sure why they gave up pricematching Amazon.

 

I guess something a bit more pertinent to the actual points @Man at C&A had made to them, I suppose. The reply just sounded like corporate waffle, rather than addressing a loyal customer.

EG.

 

Isn't it pretty much impossible to price match amazon though?

Shop rental/business rates/staff costs/corporate tax versus amazon's warehouse approach/low business rates/low corporate tax.

The tipping point is upon us for all retail, we all like the idea of physical retail stores but price and convenience is winning over most of us. Over the years the percentage of what I spend online has increased slowly but surely.

 

It's definitely a vicious circle that I can't see a way for the likes of HMV to get out of. But making their prices as close as possible can't do any harm. I don't mind paying a little bit more to see the item before I buy it and to have it straightaway. I don't know if many others feel the same way, but charging as much as £18 more and often well over £10 more on the same items will never work. It's easy for people to compare prices and they are clearly far too expensive.