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HMV has opened a new 25,000 sq ft megastore in Birmingham, making it the largest entertainment store in Europe, as its new Canadian owner attempts to kick off its revival.
The HMV Vault, will be home to approximately 80,000 CDs, 25,000 vinyl albums, 40,000 DVDs and 20,000 Blu-ray discs, as well as offering a massive range of merchandise and over 7,000 books.
Doug Putman, the owner of Canadian record company Sunrise Records, acquired the entertainment retailer out of administration earlier this year saving around 100 of its stores.
At the time Putman said it was “very clear” that the customer wants more selection on vinyl, more depth of catalogue and that despite the consumer shift to online “people like to come into a store, have an experience, talk with someone who understands music, loves music, loves video and entertainment”.
Since then he has already re-opened 14 of the 28 HMV stores that closed after the retailer went into administration in December last year, taking the chain back to 114 outlets.
Along with a focus on Vinyls the company’s new flagship will put a greater emphasis on live performances with former One Direction Singer Liam Payne performing at the stores launch event today (11 October).
Putman told The Guardian: “The market will contract but I don’t think HMV will. We will always beat the market. I’m really surprised how supportive customers and the public have been and how much people care and want us to succeed.”
“This is just the beginning; people will see more change coming in the next three to six months.”
