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HMV the latest to call in the administrators

Discussion in 'Serious' started by Cleggmeister, 14 Jan 2013.

  1. Cleggmeister

    Cleggmeister Of reasonable knowledge...

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    We haven't even seen the eye of this storm yet.
     
  2. steveo_mcg

    steveo_mcg What's a Dremel?

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    Meh. To Jessops, GAME, HMV, Virgin Megastores, etc; You reap what you sow. I have some sympathy for the staff but these "big boys" put many interesting, independent local retailers out of business. Now bigger boys have come along (Tesco, Asda, Amazon, the internet et al) and squeezed them out. I may miss them at times but I don't mourn their passing.
     
  3. Anfield

    Anfield Multimodder

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    funny hmv blames online shops when considering their own online shop was usually cheaper than the retail store.

    Anyway, not really surprised, not much business to be had between itunes, google music, netflix and so on and what little business remains after that gets decimated by semi legitimate second hand businesses like Cex and Cash Converters.
     
  4. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Online retail has changed the game of high street shopping. Retailers cannot compete on price, but they can compete on physical presence and personal service. Currys realised that when they created their Knowhow branches. Waterstones booksellers has known for a long time. HMV should have done the same: listening and viewing booths (the latter with full home cinema setup showing trailers and shorts), game demonstrations, café with free WiFi and chillout space. Shopping has to be an experience again. If it's a slog people rather do it from the comfort of their home.
     
  5. longweight

    longweight Possibly Longbeard.

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    It has been a long time coming and I am not sad to see HMV go, they didn't change with the times.
     
  6. Si_the-dude

    Si_the-dude Techaholics Anonymous. 0 days clean

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    I can't say that I'm surprised, big as they were. I've lost track of the amount of times I've been out shopping over the years (which admittedly I don't do that much anymore) and gone into HMV planning to buy something only to be shocked and appalled by the prices and their selection of goods.
     
  7. CarlT2001

    CarlT2001 What's a Dremel?

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    Also, from the comfort of your home, you can listen to clips of music, watch trailers, download demos, read excerpts of books. Because of this, people don't need a personal service in retail stores. They know what they want and just want to purchase at the cheapest price. This is not possible on the high street, so it is inevitable these shops fail.
     
  8. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    everybody likes to feel special and pampered. Everybody likes to go out and socialise. High street retailers need to capitalise on that.
     
  9. Shirty

    Shirty W*nker! Super Moderator

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    Being a PC only sort of chap, I only ever acquire music, video and games via download now. Just need to move to an area where I can get more than 2 meg broadband to capitalise on that.

    As ever, I feel for the staff and their families going in to what will be a very uncertain time, but sadly this is the age of innovation and austerity so every business not doing so is potentially at risk of this fate, no matter the size and scope of their operation.
     
  10. bigc90210

    bigc90210 Teh C

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    its been coming to them for a long time. they didnt rally dodge the bullet nor make much of an attempt to and behold theyre now dead in the water.

    Shame, but cant really say i ever used hmv much past 2000/2001, except to buy the odd generic xmas present at the xmas rush
     
  11. CarlT2001

    CarlT2001 What's a Dremel?

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    True, but I don't think you need that kind of attention when buying a cd, blu-ray etc.
    The high street is already saturated with coffee shops with free wi-fi for socialising.

    Maybe go back to basics. Very minimal shop frontage / staff and have a catalogue order type system like Argos use. Then I can spend more time enjoying my purchases rather than in the shop buying them.
     
  12. BennieboyUK

    BennieboyUK CPC Folder of the Month Sep 2011

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    This is interesting. Around 5-6 years ago every birthday and Xmas I always always asked for HMV vouchers, as I enjoyed browsing for DVDs and CDs - but all too often I would buy something (such as a CD album) and not really like it. So as soon as online downloads with previews came along I stopped going to HMV and I've not purchased anything in there since.

    So agreed with Nexxo, that preview booths and lounges would have been a must for me to keep going. Although there is a fine line between that investment and keeping the prices down so people still purchase from you rather than just preview and then buy online.

    Today I won't miss HMV, they should have kept up with their clients.
     
  13. rollo

    rollo Modder

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    HMV have been dying for years now they have finally hit bottom.

    Feel sorry for the staff but I'd expect them to be brought out by one of the music giants who will close 50-75% of all stores and try there best to keep them in break even.
     
  14. Cabe6403

    Cabe6403 Supreme Commander

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    You just need to look at the Apple stores to see a great example of that. Very untraditional shopping experience which many thought would fail within a year.
    Today Apple stores are the most profitable retails stores per square foot in the world.

    The staff there are essentially trained around the concept of the experience and the service are the most important part of the store rather than pure sales figures.

    (Source: Worked in a large Apple Store for over a year as a Specialist [read: sales person on the floor] and as an FRS [read: work at genius bar doing mobile devices but not Macs])
     
  15. Si_the-dude

    Si_the-dude Techaholics Anonymous. 0 days clean

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    I agree with the shopping experience argument. If you want to buy something and getting it for the lowest possible cost is your goal, you're almost always going to go online. It's nice to go in somewhere and have a browse sometimes though. For me it's the difference between going online to buy something specific that I want/need, and just wanting to have a look around and maybe buy something on a whim.

    I think it's a shame that HMV are going under, and that a lot of people are going to end up unemployed - but it's also a shame that HMV failed to move forward with the times.
     
  16. Unicorn

    Unicorn Uniform November India

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    A friend of mine runs a small local music and memorabilia shop. Needless to say he wasn't sad to hear this news last night. I can't say it affects me either - digital downloads are the present standard and the future of the game, film and music industries, there is no escaping it. I can have a new album from iTunes in seconds without leaving my chair, a new film in minutes without leaving the sofa and if I really do want the real thing in a Jewel or DVD case (still less than 150 physical albums from 7+ years of being "into" music and less than 100 DVDs despite having a digital film library of... well, lots) I can order the silly thing from Play or Amazon with one click checkout and it arrives in a couple of days.

    The real kicker is that I can now do all of these things on my phone without having to move anything other than my fingers. Games have gone a similar way - I can't even remember the last time I bought a PC game in the flesh because of Steam. The Halo 4 launch night was the last time I bought any game in the flesh, and despite the excitement at the time, the disappointment it turned out to be just made me wish I'd never gone to GAME that night.

    This was a long time coming, but I'm not surprised. The Internet and DLC/media streaming/digital downloads or whatever other fancy name you want to come up with for it as a whole has won this entire market. I can't see HMV being bought over and made profitable again in its current form. It may be acquired by a large media company and reinvented, but in the current climate, it would have to be a media giant to take something like that on. In short, I think it's sunk. As inevitable as this was, I do still feel very sorry for the staff. I wouldn't wish unemployment on anyone.

    Very true, although a very hard act to follow as well!
     
    Last edited: 15 Jan 2013
  17. longweight

    longweight Possibly Longbeard.

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    I only buy from the high street when they add something to the experience, if I go in to John Lewis and try the new Surface Pro tablet and the sales assistant is very helpful, directs me to a seated area so that I can have a good 10-15 playing with the tablet and I can access Wi-Fi to truly test the product then I would buy in store. If it is stuck to a desk with no Wi-Fi then I will have a quick go and buy online.
     
  18. Flibblebot

    Flibblebot Smile with me

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    I'd actually say the opposite of this - I use the Interwebs when I'm trying to find something specific; I use the high street when I'm looking for something new or different.

    As many have said, the problem with stores like HMV is the prices they charge - how many people browse their local store only to go home and order something online?

    As Nexxo has said, the only way the high street can compete is by offering experience and knowledge - and the ability to browse - something no Internet store can compete with.
     
  19. rollo

    rollo Modder

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    The apple store experience is nearly impossible to replicate unless your selling technology.

    Would not work on most retail products.
     
  20. CarlT2001

    CarlT2001 What's a Dremel?

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    Recommendations from Amazon and reading other people's reviews is more than enough when I am looking for something new or different. You can only judge the book by the cover in the high street.
     

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