Music retailerHMVhas announced plans to reopen its historic flagship store onLondons Oxford Street later this year as part of a larger expansion plan.
The music chain closed the store in 2019 after going into administration but the companys fortunes have changed following its acquisition later that same year by Canadian businessman Doug Putnams Sunrise Records.
HMV first opened on the site in 1921 and became part of UK pop music folklore, with connections to The Beatles first break, and a hub for promotional events and signings, hosting events for Blur and the Spice Girls in its 1990s heyday.
HMV’s flagship store on London’s Oxford StreetJohn Keeble/Getty Images
Related Stories
Writers Guild Of America West Staff Union Wins Voluntarily Recognition, Moves To Negotiate First Contract
‘The King Of Kings’ Surpasses ‘Parasite’ To Become Top-Grossing Korean Film In The U.S.
Putnam, who has a reputation for turning around ailing retail businesses having also rescued Toy R Us, said the return to health for the company was down to its fan and community-focused approach.
Watch on Deadline
In response to the demise of the CD and DVD market with the rise of streaming, the retailer has expanded its offering to pop culture merchandise, vinyl, film, TV and music technology.
It has also revived its tradition of welcoming music artists to its stores, hosting events and signings for the likes of Charli XCX, Stormzy, Shania Twain, Raye and Ellie Goulding in its UK sites over the past year.
The expansion of our fan-focused pop culture offer is really working for us, and the reopening of our flagship represents the culmination of a good few years of hard work, said Putnam.
We are also opening stores in Europe this year, so while it is the culmination of one phase of work, more excitingly we see it as the launchpad for an exciting new era for HMV.
HMV currently has 120 shops across the UK, including the specialist Fopp store in Londons Covent Garden, and the Vault in Birmingham, which is billed as Europes largest entertainment store.
The revamped 363 Oxford Street store will feature HMVs new logo, layout and concept, first trialled in the West Midlands town of Solihull, where a new look shop was opened in July 2021 to mark HMVs 100th birthday.
HMV said the concept will have been taken to 24 new sites and retrofitted to 14 existing stores by the end of 2023.
