More about: HMV

In what has been a tumultuous 18 months for the high street, one of the flagship high street brands a staple of pop culture iconography is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The brand in question is of course HMV, initially launching as His Masters Voice in July 1921 with the opening of their first store 363 Oxford Street, opened by the classical composer Elgar. 

While their fortunes have fluctuated in recent years, since being accumulated into Sunset Records in 2019, HMV have seen something of a rebirth with plans recently announced for ten new stores this year and up to 70 in the coming years, indicating a strong sense of commitment to the high street and the brand itself. Ed Sheeran has been on hand to open the new Coventry store and with other instore gigs and signings imminent, it appears the future of the brand for at least the short term is promising. 

We were fortunate enough to speak with Phil Halliday, MD of HMV and Fopp about how the brand has fared during the pandemic, the continued resurgence of the vinyl market in the UK as well as their anniversary and plans for the future.  

Gigwise: How did HMV find the transition to online retailing for much of the past 18 months?

Phil Halliday: I’m really impressed by how we’ve tackled it, and while the pandemic brought a lot of challenges we managed to accelerate the growth on our website and it’s now in a really good place, with sales double those prior to March last year. 

Our e-commerce business is very much in harmony with our bricks and mortar business. For instance, we sell tickets to our in-store meet and greets with amazing artists such as KSI and Anne-Marie online, as well as tickets to shows at the hmv Empire Coventry for the likes of Arlo Parks.

GW: With the news of 10 new stores this year and 70 over the next few, do you feel HMV will rebound as a physical store presence?

PH: For now, we’re focused on the eight to ten stores we’re set to open this year. Further expansion is great, but we want to do so when and if the timing is right. Opening additional stores will be dependent on business rates and market conditions allowing us to do so. We’ve been really wowed by the reception to our latest store in Solihull, which opened on our 100th birthday, and we’re looking forward to opening more in the run-up to Christmas.

GW: Why do you feel the vinyl market has taken off so much over the past decade?

PH: With streaming, everything is ‘skippable’. People build playlists and skip tracks before they’ve finished. With vinyl, you’re listening to the artist’s record as they intended it to be listened to, and for real music fans that’s hugely appealing. The audience for vinyl continues to expand and we’re seeing younger buyers building their collection. When we opened after lockdown this April the biggest sellers were Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey.

GW: How do you see HMV factoring into this growth going forwards?

PH: In a lot of towns and cities where we operate stores, HMV offers the best choice and range when it comes to vinyl, spanning multiple genres and offering the best special editions. It’s a real key area for us and we’re continuing to expand our product range in this area.

GW: Where do you see HMV in 5-10 years?

PH: I think there’s a real love for HMV. When the news of our 100th birthday came out there was such an outpouring of love for the brand and what it meant to people. Retail is always evolving, but the focus for us is making the stores a destination for discovering new music and hosting exciting events, whether that’s through signings with major artists or giving local bands the space to play their first gig.

GW: What are some of your highlights from the 1921 Centenary Editions? 

PH: We have more than 100 stores, and it was amazing to see the queues outside each one as people wanted to be first in line to get the exclusive records – to the extent that it’s had a big impact on this week’s album chart. There are so many amazing records on the list but Sleaford Mods’ All That Glue limited edition is a real highlight.

GW: What other events do you have planned to celebrate the brand's centenary?

PHThere is huge amount going on at hmv to mark our 100th birthday. With the easing of lockdown, we’re excited to bring back store-signings, with both KSI and Anne-Marie visiting our Liverpool and Birmingham stores over this past week, and we’ve got many more appearances to come. To top it off, we have a special 100th anniversary gig with Ed Sheeran at the new hmv Empire in Coventry on 25th. The concert will be free to 700 fans on the 25th August and fans can still register for tickets until 8th August here.

More about: HMV