HMV targeting 20 new Xmas stores

Multiple temporary HMV outlets will be established in the coming months across the UK.

The retailer plans to open up to 20 stores specifically to deal with the busy holiday shopping season – more than twice the number it opened last year.

While locations have yet to be finalised, MCV has been told that these sites will be located on a range of High Streets and shopping centres around the UK.

Each store is estimated to have a shop floor of around 2,000 to 3,000 square feet and will open between mid-October and early November.

They will trade until January, and will stock an extensive range of HMV’s products including games, which the firm describes as the main staple of Christmas gift buying”.

We were really pleased with our temporary locations last year, which generally traded very well and even encouraged us to convert a handful, such as Torquay and Bury, into more permanent sites,” HMV’s group property director Mark Bowles told MCV.

It’s great for customers as they are presented with a specialist entertainment retail offer when they most need it – in the run-up to Christmas. Landlords like it as well, as it helps to keep shopping centres and High Streets busy with well known brands.”

The company is also hoping that this initiative will see the creation of more permanent stores, extending its reach into certain areas that may not yet have a strong entertainment retail offering.

Bowles said: Aside from the commercial boost from the trading benefits, you also get to test-run locations that you’ve been thinking about – and if the reaction is positive or stronger than you expect, then this helps to build a case to open a permanent store there.

Landlords are likely to be receptive as they will have seen what your brand did for their retail offer, while it’s great to give assistant managers their first test of running an HMV store.

A few years ago none of this would have been possible, but we now have the operational, product and IT processes in place to be able to go in and set up at relatively short notice.

This means we can set up a pretty decent retail offer in a way that’s fully manageable and that can be resourced.”