Results 26 to 50 of 255
-
1st Jul 2007, 5:55 PM #26
From the news last Thursday:
HMV struggles in 'severe' market
"Some HMV stores could face closure. Profits at music and book retailer HMV have more than halved as the firm battles against competition from supermarkets and online retailers. The firm made pre-tax profits of 48.1m before exceptional items in the year to 28 April, down from 98.2m a year ago. This was despite sales growing by 3.8% to 1.9bn."
High street music retailers may become a thing of the past...
-
1st Jul 2007, 6:53 PM #27Captain Tancredi Guest
That would tie in with the comment in the official statement about the suppliers and their credit insurers- reading between the lines, it looks as if the money wasn't coming in fast enough to pay their suppliers.
Ralph's comment on HMV is also interesting, not least because their Leeds store is the flagship outlet in a shopping centre which is currently about to be refurbished. It's not beyond imagination that they might pull out of the city centre entirely.
-
2nd Jul 2007, 1:14 PM #28
What a shame. I really liked Fopp too. I think losing high street music shops is a shame because the one thing they have over internet shopping is that ability to go into a shop and flick through the racks. Internet shopping is great if you know what your looking for but rubbish for browsing.
Incidentally Redhill still has a branch of Music Zone that's open and trading.
-
2nd Jul 2007, 2:02 PM #29Wayne Guest
-
2nd Jul 2007, 4:58 PM #30
-
2nd Jul 2007, 5:06 PM #31
This came up earlier. We realised that you don't see toy shops in town centres any more. You have your ELC and an out of town Toys R Us but the days of city centre stores are gone. There used to be two or three in Manchester - not one off private shops but chains like Toy and Hobby - and now I don't think there are any. Music and DVD stores look likely to go the same way. At least until the supermarkets are the only ones left selling DVDs, at which point Tescovision and Sainsburyzone stores will start opening.
Dennis, Francois, Melba and Smasher are competing to see who can wine and dine Lola Whitecastle and win the contract to write her memoirs. Can Dennis learn how to be charming? Can Francois concentrate on anything else when food is on the table? Will Smasher keep his temper under control?
If only the 28th century didn't keep popping up to get in Dennis's way...
#dammitbrent
The eleventh annual Brenty Four serial is another Planet Skaro exclusive. A new episode each day until Christmas in the Brenty Four-um.
-
2nd Jul 2007, 5:25 PM #32Captain Tancredi Guest
That's not a bad analogy, not least because these days the supermarket chains are also selling toys in the knowledge that parents can bribe their children with a remote controlled Dalek or whatever if they're good while they do the weekly food shop. If the supermarkets can do it cheaper and are just as convenient if not more for CDs and DVDs (because they're selling them somewhere you're going anyway) then you need a reason to go to HMV or Virgin in your lunch hour.
-
3rd Jul 2007, 12:33 PM #33Pip Madeley Guest
The real tragedy is the 700 odd people who have lost their jobs.
-
3rd Jul 2007, 12:56 PM #34
I'm guessing that the Redhill Music Zone will close now too.
The Fopp website is very to the point.
-
3rd Jul 2007, 1:04 PM #35
Just noticed via Pip's link above that Beano's in Croydon, the biggest second music shop in the Uk was closing its doors last December which is a huge shame. Checking Beanos website their not closing but massively scaling back. So not only is it high street chains that are hit but second hand record shops which isn't good. I was saddened to see a while ago, Redhill's second hand music store Hits slowly become a secondhand mobile phone shop.
These are unhappy days.
-
5th Jul 2007, 6:20 PM #36
Hmmm - strange. Having wandered around an HMV and a Virgin Megastore recently I'm not surprised they're doing so badly. Not a single DW DVD at less than RRP, and the first series boxset at 70 !! I know they can't compete with online retailers for price, but at the same time knocking the odd off here and there, or sticking their excess stock of tat in at buy 5 for 30 just isn't enough anymore.
In a way I don't have much sympathy with them either - I'm old enough to remember the independent / small chain music, video , book and games outlets that were crushed underfoot by the huge chain stores and their cheaper prices. What goes around comes around really - I'm not sure I'd ever bother to buy CDs or DVDs in a shop anymore unless there was a real bargain. I suspect the Supermarkets won't do all that well in the long run either - they seem to be overextending themselves in just the same way.
And when are shops like Woolies and WHS ever going to learn that there is no point being a Jack-of all sales if you're doing them all badly? The sooner WHS stops selling the odd DVD / CD / Computer game or toy, the sooner they'll have enough space to stock a decent range of books and stationary.Bazinga !
-
6th Jul 2007, 10:52 AM #37
Your Victor Meldrew avatar seemed so appropriate after reading that, Jon.
-
15th Jul 2007, 5:59 PM #38
Both HMV and Virgin are trading very poorly year on year at the moment. I've recently been interviewing people from both organisations who tell of some very difficult trading times for both chains. HMV seem to have put a lot into their multimedia strategy but on the back of supply issues of the Wii and the PS3 being prettly much an over-priced non-starter, this was a strategy that may not pay off.
There's no escaping that the four big supermarket chains are squeezing the traditional high street stores out of the market. The latest crazy stat is that 1 in every 8 spent is spent in a Tesco store!
If we want to stem this tide, perhaps we should stop spending our hard earned cash in these places unless we want to create a Tescopoly! (Interesting website by the way at www.tescopoly.co.uk!!!)
-
2nd Aug 2007, 12:40 PM #39HMV have bought up the Fopp brand and taken six of it's most profitable stores off the hands of administrator's Ernst & Young.
Fopp was forced to close down earlier this month with the loss of 700 jobs. It had massive credit problems which stemmed from it buying up the Music Zone chain.
HMV's spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said: "Those stores actually were profitable and the Fopp brand - there's a lot of customer interest in it, it was very appealing, and I think it was working strongly across the country, but some stores were purchased and maybe didn't fit in with the original plans."
"Where those members of staff are available we'll certainly be looking to rehire them which hopefully will mean up to 70 jobs are saved."
The six stores should open as soon as possible in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London's Covent Garden, Cambridge, Manchester and Nottingham, reports BBC 6 MusicPity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!
-
2nd Aug 2007, 12:44 PM #40
So wil they run them as Fopp with the same discounts and everything? They've been a bit cautious with only buying the six stores though.
-
21st Aug 2007, 6:21 PM #41
Looks like another one is about to bite the dust:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6956536.stm
-
25th Aug 2007, 12:21 AM #42
Choices UK appoint administrators
Just spotted this on "DVD Times" and just to warn anyone who might be buying from them:
"Well respected DVD retailer, ChoicesUK, have appointed adminstrators. While the online retailer is currently still trading and open for business, we would suggest caution when considering placing new orders until the situation is resolved.
Our current advice, for customers with outstanding orders placed via credit card, is to not cancel immediately to give ChoicesUK a chance to stabilise. If, however, you have placed an order with a debit card, it may well be worth considering cancelling due to the lack of protection offered by your bank.
We will post updates as we have them and hope that this situation is resolved quickly and ChoicesUK return to full trading capacity quickly. They're a quality on-line retailer and it would be a shame to lose them altogether."
I'm sorry to hear this as I found their service very good.
-
25th Aug 2007, 12:24 AM #43Wayne Guest
Thanks Ralph. I've bought a few odds & sods from Choices, but i won't be getting anymore unless things get resolved.
-
25th Aug 2007, 9:22 AM #44Pip Madeley Guest
ChoicesUK needed to lower their prices.
-
25th Aug 2007, 11:03 PM #45
I hope Choices manage to sort this out and maintain their on-line service even if they scrap everything else. I've found them to be a very dependable Internet retailer.
Bazinga !
-
17th Sep 2007, 7:20 PM #46
Apparently, Choices UK and CD WOW have both been bought so they should be safe for now.
Dennis, Francois, Melba and Smasher are competing to see who can wine and dine Lola Whitecastle and win the contract to write her memoirs. Can Dennis learn how to be charming? Can Francois concentrate on anything else when food is on the table? Will Smasher keep his temper under control?
If only the 28th century didn't keep popping up to get in Dennis's way...
#dammitbrent
The eleventh annual Brenty Four serial is another Planet Skaro exclusive. A new episode each day until Christmas in the Brenty Four-um.
-
21st Sep 2007, 1:15 AM #47
They haven't gone bust, but Richard Branson's sold off all the Virgin Megastore stores and they're going to be rebranded with the name "Zavvi".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6998606.stm
With a name like that, I predict all will be closed by next summer."RIP Henchman No.24."
-
21st Sep 2007, 1:17 AM #48
and the three Fopps nearest my house (Glasgow Union Street/Byres Road and Edinburgh) reopened at the end of last month. It's all good.
-
21st Sep 2007, 9:04 AM #49Wayne Guest
Same with the Nottingham Fopp. Although i rarely use anything but e-tailers these days anyway.......
-
21st Sep 2007, 10:02 AM #50
Zavvi? Sounds like an exotic princess. Or a cussword.
Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!
Similar Threads
-
Poll: Rate and Discuss 6.12: Closing Time
By Alex in forum The New SeriesReplies: 119Last Post: 2nd Oct 2011, 12:14 AM -
Cosgrove Hall Films on brink of closure
By Pip Madeley in forum Film and TelevisionReplies: 7Last Post: 13th Oct 2009, 5:29 PM -
High Definition!
By Si Hunt in forum Film and TelevisionReplies: 38Last Post: 23rd Feb 2009, 1:57 PM -
Government NOT closing Jodrell Bank!
By Jason Thompson in forum Mr Smith, I Need You!Replies: 21Last Post: 25th Oct 2008, 9:35 PM
PSAudios 6.1. Bless You Doctor Who
[/URL] (Click for large version) Doctor Who A thrilling two-part adventure starring Brendan Jones & Paul Monk & Paul Monk Bless You,...
23rd Nov 2020, 3:02 PM