Page 29 - December 2021 / January 2022

launched recently in Southampton and back in July on the weekend of the brand’s 100th anniversary, a new store opened in Solihull. Moving
forward, they are planning on opening 15 more stores over the next 12 months in locations where rents and rates make sense.
Never just a shop that is purely about the retail transaction, it has always been a community for like-minded people, and throughout its
century in business this has not gone away and remains a key part of the hmv offer.
“This year, now that they are once again allowed, we are putting on more in-store events, signings and appearances. We have sold out
signings with KSI, Steps, Anne-Marie and Joy Crookes, and there are many more planned over the next year,” explains Halliday.
The brand can also boast a highly engaged social community, particularly among vinyl and pop culture fans. Many hmv sites have their own
social channels and some have recently branched into TikTok so they can truly connect with their local community, while answering queries
from customers about what’s in store.
Halliday explains that having a grassroots feel is really important, and now that they can, they are keen to support more local musicians and
have bands perform in store. He continues by saying they are lucky in that they have some of the world’s biggest and most credible artists
supporting them rather than traditional lifestyle influencers. For example, during their centennial celebrations, Ed Sheeran, Chvrches and Sir
Paul McCartney all posted to wish them a happy birthday.
Taking a two-pronged approach online and offline, the scale of their offering means customers cannot find anything else like them on the
high street, and it is an experience that cannot be replicated online or in a supermarket.
“Our ethos is centred on ‘community’. We sit in the middle of an amazing number of communities – be it vinyl collectors, genre-
specific fan groups, or Comic-Con fanatics. This translates to our store staff too – they are one of the most incredible community groups
in and of themselves – and all these individuals are linked by a fierce passion for their interests and it’s hmv that pulls them together,”
Halliday comments.
A brand with a great history of innovation, the company utilises in-store space to its fullest extent, whether that’s through offering records
that you can’t find anywhere else or through their legendary in-store appearances. Both staff and customers are highly knowledgeable, and
visitors can shop with confidence that they will get expert advice at any site across the country.
When asked about the challenges facing the company, Halliday explains that they have come up against difficult circumstances before and
met every single one of them, going on to say that while they often hear about the threat of streaming, but actually what they’ve found through
the revival of vinyl that physical and digital music can co-exist.
“It’s been a hugely significant year for the business, and as we head into Christmas we are confident that new records from Adele, Ed
Sheeran, ABBA and more will drive even more customers through our doors.”

hmv Vault,
Birmingham, UK

DECEMBER 2021 / JANUARY 2022 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL 29