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HMV To Close Stores, But What Does It Mean For Music?

The high street retailer is set to close 60 stores, but how big a problem is it for music?

Posted 5th January 2011, 11:23am in Blogs by Stephen Ackroyd
Stephen Ackroyd

Stephen Ackroyd

Editor

HMV To Close Stores, But What Does It Mean For Music? It's been reported that HMV is set to close 60 stores this year following less than amazing Christmas sales figures. Bad news for music, one would think - and in a way it is. HMV, like it or not, is pretty much the only way some can get hold of a physical album over the counter these days, with more and more towns left without an independent record shop to call their own and Virgin becoming Zavvi becoming (probably) Primark. It's easy for those living in London, with the brilliant Rough Trade on their doorstep, to remember the days when their only music came from Woolworths.

Still, anyone who has set foot in a HMV store over the past couple of years can't help but notice that the racks of CDs aren't quite as numerous as they once were. In some branches one would struggle to say even a fifth of the floorspace is given to music - instead DVDs, Blu-Rays and Games dominate. Hell, it's easier to find a JLS fridge magnet than it is a 7" single in 2011.

The lack of space doesn't just mean less music, but also less choice, especially amongst new music. It's becoming increasingly hard for independent labels with new acts to get any significant numbers into HMV stores. While it's never been exactly easy to convince the major chains to support, it's becoming harder than ever. Only significant support is likely to even get fresh blood into the racks, never mind the new release section. Regardless, the retailer probably still makes up one of the biggest single sales sources for most releases; the size of the chain alone means even a copy or two for each store can be the difference between a small label release breaking even or not.

Of course, most of these acts and their labels know that the independent record store is their friend. Now, more than ever, it seems vital to support them. Find your nearest here.
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