HMV to REOPEN London Oxford Street Store

I don' think anyone predicted this happening

HMV's flagship Oxford Street store to reopen



It will be good to see this back on the map, however it will be a shadow of it's former self - as a music fan first it's not really something to get that excited about. When you walk in you'll be bombarded with toys and junk first and foremost. Just being near a tote bag makes my flesh creep



Their vinyl pricing since being taken over by Sunrise is amongst the most preposterous you've ever seen, even managing to outdo Urban Outfitters by some great margin.

Since they've also dropped the ability to price match against their own websites prices in-store, my purchases have dropped to maybe once or twice a year (I have a local HMV in Maidstone)

 

HMV were always the worst of the major records stores......how they survived over Virgin, Tower etc I will never know. They are the only store that sells new CD's anywhere remotely near me - and that selection is poor - which is why I almost exclusively buy online now.

I do seem to recall when HMV were bought over by Sunrise, the owner making exclamations that he wanted to attract the real music lovers back again and ensure the stores had those deep catalogue albums....any store I have been in is just a glorified toy shop.

 

I'm honestly surprised they haven't starting doing coffee and cake

I'd have to disagree on HMV in the 80's and early 90's though - the Oxford Street (Bond Street Tube end) was magical. Me and a mate used to save up and then do the gauntlet of HMV, Virgin Megastore and Tower to pick up all the stuff Our Price just didn't do locally. Happy times.

Tower was amazing for imports, Virgin Megastore was badly laid out (in London anyway)

 

I guess the decline of Oxford Street, scam sweet shops, street crime etc., has made rents cheap enough for the return, and they are hoping to catch tourists with brand recognition, I agree that their pricing is mostly terrible and their branches are more toy shops, but will give them credit for a decent vinyl selection, at least in my local branch, just don't wear an expensive watch if you plan on visiting Oxford Street.

 

How many times can this store close and reopen? I do get the odd release from HMV still, but far less. It's fun to know we share a (relatively) local HMV though!

 

I remember Borders being the first with that, funnily enough they along with a couple of other local shops that tried it are long gone, though Rough Trade seem to have embraced that model now.

 

A record (vinyl only) shop has opened near me in Brighton. They also do coffee.

A sign in the window - 'Flat White With Your Barry White', or something along those lines.

 

I expect it to become something like a mix of Forbidden Planet and Rough Trade, with overpriced merch AND overpriced records.

Still, seeing a lifeless vintage HIS MASTER'S VOICE storefront in Oxford Street was always a sad sight for me (though according to press, they're planning to replace it by the modern HMV logo - sacrilege!).

 

I went to their Birmingham flagship store last year. Crap. Can't imagine a new Oxford St store being any better.

Only time I buy from HMV now is the occasional (online) sale. I'd NEVER pay their normal prices.

 

I’m (still) a travel agent in Perth Australia.

In 1978 we only had one good local record shop, the now sadly departed 78Records.

I somehow scored a free ticket with British Airways to London so flew from Perth with an empty suitcase inside my main suitcase, which itself had just a few clothes and necessities in it.

I went to HMV Records in London on the 2 days after I arrived into London, loaded up on vinyl that was either unavailable in Perth, or just not worth it compared to the prices I found in London, put them all in that empty suitcase and on day four, flew home for Perth.

First class in a 747, upstairs, with one only other passenger, Alistair Norwood, owner and GM of the Western Australian Jean’s West chain.

We landed in Singapore on the way home, spent an hour on the ground. And then they told us one of the engines had blown a starter motor and we’d have to wait until a new one was installed. None in Singapore or Australia! They had To fly the starter motor in from the UK. In those days, for whatever reason, we were not permitted off the aircraft. As the engines were off, so the air conditioning was not functioning. Bloody hot on board, but the 2 of us just settled into the 747’s First Class lounge and drank a wee bit!!!

22 hours later we took off.

Home in Perth on day 6 of the trip with a suitcase full of albums. Some of which, due to the heat in the hold whilst we sat on the tarmac at Changi, looked like crinkle cut potato chips. Only some. Most were in great shape, and, effectively started my record collection. Thank you HMV Records!

 

My local Virgin store was incredible. Amazing selection and always loved going into the Jazz/Classical "room" which had a great ambience. It definitely encouraged my love of Jazz. I would spend hours in the store. When it closed, it probably marked the last time I loved a record store.

On the other hand our HMV has always been expensive and a poor selection.

 

The time for making money is now!

 

Do you remember a smaller music shop that was about halfway between Virgin and HMV called Music Zone? I enjoyed looking in there. I bought my entire Scott Walker collection from Music Zone in one visit!

 

I walk in them with an open mind, and a few quid to burn, but often leave disappointed. Probably one of the last places I would buy music from these days, but the website sometimes has good deals on the older films.

 

We had one here in North Staffordshire, definate bais towards catalogues which is something I like to see.

 

I remember the old Oxford Street store in the late fifties, when I was working at the top end of Regent Street. You had a choice when buying some pop records, of them in either, 78, or 45rpm format.

 

Rough Trade East is terrible these days. Coffee shop, stage for events, predictable range of vinyl best sellers and a handful of CDs. It's closed most days by 6pm for signings or talks. Selling great new music is secondary.

 

Being an old git that is fantastic news. I bought my first Marc, Bowie, Roxy and Coltrane albums in that store and much more besides. It lost much of its lustre after its big sister store opened up at the other end of Oxford Street but it was iconic in its prime. Has been pretty shameful that of late central London has only really had Fopp, Foyles and a handful of specialist stores and small indies like Sister Ray. Bravo!

 

Growing up in the south west of Scotland Ayr was the local town. In 1979 there were 9 shops that sold records/tapes- the big chain stores, Woolies, Boots & Littlewoods , Arnott's a department store that was part of the Frasers empire, John Menzies and 4 independent record stores. Saturday afternoons were spent doing the rounds and going through every rack checking out everything in store and seeking that weeks holy grail. Today HMV is the only store remaining(it came to the town in the 90s along with Our Price). It has recently downsized to a smaller store. I rarely go there, it's full of merch, posters, t-shirts, action figures and cheap trashy turntables, books etc.
Truth is I have access to far more music than ever before via online shopping and streaming services than I ever did back in 1979 with those 9 shops in town. And I don't even need to get out of bed...

 

This is great news, not sure what everyone else here is moaning about. Their vinyl prices are generally cheaper than Rough Trade, particularly if you go for their multibuy deals.

 

How big will the new store be? I used to enjoy going to the old HMV on Oxford Street when I was in London because it offered so much more than my local HMV. For example I loved going to the basement level and spending a long time looking through the jazz and blues cds etc and then going to the top floor to look at the dvds. Not forgetting everything that was on the main floor which was definitely more extensive than my local store.

Having said that, I am grateful that my local store is still there. Whenever there is a new release I at least have an option to walk into that store and pick it up on release day if the price isn't significantly higher than Amazon.

 

Is there one in Ipswich still Bink? I know the Oxfam there has been putting interesting but expensive records on the wall for many years

 

Yeah, that was exactly my impression of it, too.

 

Is that Capsule in Western Road? Not been in there yet but I saw a fluff piece in The Argus online about it. I guess that although there are already quite a few decent shops in Brighton there hasn't been anything along that end of town for a while.

Have you been in for a look?

 

Yes, still one in Ipswich. It's smaller than it used to be though!