HMV to close all stores in Canada

[Big Ears]

I remember the HMV in Oxford St., in the early seventies, having separate floors for 8-tracks and cassettes, which was amazing at the time. The receipts were purple with Madame Tussaud's characters on the back. I've still got mine for the Moontan cassette, which cost me the princely sum of £2.75. By the end, in this country, HMV had become computer games shops, full of spotty little oiks (rather like the Apple shops now), which completely alienated me and was a sad decline.

[TheH]

I used to go to Saturn in Cologne about once or twice a year.But I believe the Saturn in Cologne is probably one of a kind

Yes, Mediamarkt is generally bigger than Saturn (rare in Benelux), though the rest of the Cologne Saturn store at the end of the small sidestreet is the average size of a Mediamarkt in Belgium or NL.

Does that Muller store in Essen still have as big a choice as it used to?? Cos I could be tempted to go take a look and adenture in the Ruhrgebiet.

Yes Saturn Cologne is the only Saturn with such a big CD Department (they where even better in the Vinyl days, where they had an open storage).

For Müller in Essen I don't really know, I don't live in Essen anymore for 16 years now. Last time I was there the CD Department was reduced to two
floors, but that's easily 10 years ago. I wouldn't expect it to be as great as it was once now.

P.S.
I checked the Internet and the "Müller" in Essen seems to be completly gone

[Digital_Man]

I'm very fortunate to have a couple of local independent music shops where I can go to find loads of prog and jazz CDs (or vinyl, if I was so inclined). The last few times I was in HMV it was nothing but top 40, unless you wanted a Greatest Hits compilation or Floyd/Zeppelin/Beatles. In fact, music seemed to be the smallest percentage of what was available.

That's kind of how it was at K-mart too. Walmart is a little bit better and at least you can find cds for five dollars there. K-mart these days has nothing.

[mozo-pg]

I thought I heard on the news that 1200 staff will lose their jobs.

[jlneudorf]

Exactly. It was a place I went while my wife shopped in other stores, but apart from chuckling at the odd curiosity ("Hey, a Game Of Thrones coffee mug!"), it was a bit of a puzzling experience. Flipping through the CDs, I often wondered if the listening audience for the current mega pop stars even bought physical product.

The larger HMV stores carry progressive rock and metal. Have bought many titles over the years. I find this to be a real shame. Anytime stores close its a blow to the industry. We are all music fans and I don't understand why we shouldn't care about that. Plus, all the jobs lost. As somebody already mentioned over 1000. That sucks for them and their families.
I too have questioned their business model but the fact is for some people that's all they had.

[Progatron]

The larger HMV stores carry progressive rock and metal. Have bought many titles over the years. I find this to be a real shame. Anytime stores close its a blow to the industry. We are all music fans and I don't understand why we shouldn't care about that. Plus, all the jobs lost. As somebody already mentioned over 1000. That sucks for them and their families.
I too have questioned their business model but the fact is for some people that's all they had.

Who said we don't care? I've only been pointing out my own experiences with the stores I've been to. Of course the job loss is regrettable.

[jlneudorf]

Who said we don't care? I've only been pointing out my own experiences with the stores I've been to. Of course the job loss is regrettable.

I clicked on the wrong post. My apologies.

[Big Ears]

But it hasn't 'ended' in the UK!

They are a pale shadow of their former selves in my area.

[Staun]

The new medium has forced the closings. Vinyl.

[Trane]

P.S.
I checked the Internet and the "Müller" in Essen seems to be completly gone

Sooo much for a trip in the industrial district of Germany

[TheH]

Sooo much for a trip in the industrial district of Germany

The 'historical' industrial district, there ain't much industry left there (everthing steel and coal is gone).

I was going to have a trip there too. Migth now go to Cologne instead.

Essen was a great CD (LP) Shopping town once. Müller, WOM and Karstadt (with a special CDs and Books store) and a number
of smaller but also great Shops. Seem to be all gone now (maybe the Karstadt one is still there).

P.S. The Karstadt CD store is still there , but doesn't sell CDs anymore (gone for Fashion now)

[Trane]

How is the Köln Saturn doing, nowadays? Last time, I went, it was still on two floors ground (rock & pop) and underground floors (jazz, blues, funk).... Whereas I remember the previous time, there was a first floor (classical and folk)

[TheH]

How is the Köln Saturn doing, nowadays? Last time, I went, it was still on two floors ground (rock & pop) and underground floors (jazz, blues, funk).... Whereas I remember the previous time, there was a first floor (classical and folk)

Wasn't there for some years now. I'm a little bit frightend who it may look now.

[Stevie B]

They are a pale shadow of their former selves in my area.

In Glasgow there is a huge HMV - true the main focus these days is DVD/blu-ray (and has been for the last decade or so), and that's what you see when you walk in, but the basement floor is all music, and plenty of it. I would expect to find full back catalogue of all the classic bands in there, as well as plenty of relative obscurities. For example I was checking out Alan Parsons Project recently (never a big name in the UK) and they had every APP album that I'd ever heard of...

I remember HMV from the late seventies/early eighties and they were always a mainstream player...you wouldn't ever think of going there to pick up a rarity or anything more obscure.

[zravkapt]

I was in one yesterday. Didn't have much of a selection, meaning both they had stuff I already got and there was next to nothing I was interested in. Ended up getting two 2-CD compilations for $20. Their vinyl selection seemed better but I don't own a turntable. I was surprised at some of the stuff they had like Gentle Giant's Octopus which looked like the original '90s CD version.

[JJ88]

Well, this is a little worrying too:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...-store.646792/

[Trane]

Well, this is a little worrying too:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...-store.646792/

Well, HMV on Oxford wasn't good last time I went (Nov 2014).... But I'm more worried for Fopp, since it's the same group.

[spacefreak]

All chains will go, sooner or later. There's no point selling generic mainstream stuff to a non-buying public. On the contrary, indipendants that stood to this day, will remain if they 'll follow a clever combination of in-store and online sales. Most of them will also profit from the vinyl's resurgence, provided that they keep reasonable prices and a focus on the deeper catalogue that seems satisfy both the oldest record buying public and the hipster's needs more than the classics (for example sell the newest Requiem reissue instead of a normal Tangerine Dream LP, Horse instead of Mountain, Brave New World instead of Genesis etc.)

[Valen]

There used to be a huge-ass Virgin Megastore in Times Square -- I assume it's gone now, but I'm hardly ever at Times Square anymore. Anyone know what's there now? Probably two or three places like an ESPN Zone would have been needed to fill that space. How about the Virgin store at Union Square?

I remember that Virgin store well - it was our first store we dropped into on our only trip to NYC (so far...)

The day we visited, the first of the Lord Of The Rings movies had just been released on dvd and the staff just let everyone sit on the shopfloor and watch it on the tv screens. It was such a cool way to start a vacation, and endeared New Yorkers to us.

As I recall, I left with Gabriel's first four albums remastered, Rush's Vapor Trails, and all of Water's solo albums on minidisc (which gives you an idea of how long ago that was...).

[Brad to the Bone]

http://business.financialpost.com/ne...all-102-stores

One of the last big music retailers in the country, another victim of the digital age.

In a rather surprising development, tiny Sunrise Records - which operates 9 stores in Ontario - have announced that they will be buying and taking over 70 HMV stores across Canada. Best of luck to them, but it's difficult to see how they will be any more successful than HMV was. The lone Sunrise store here in Ottawa typically sells new release DVDs for about $30-$35. The Audio Video Centre in Hintonburg - where I shop for movies - typically sells new release Blu-Rays for $15.95, taxes included.

[spellbound]

I never saw an HMV store. I guess they never penetrated the western US.

[zravkapt]

In a rather surprising development, tiny Sunrise Records - which operates 9 stores in Ontario - have announced that they will be buying and taking over 70 HMV stores across Canada. Best of luck to them, but it's difficult to see how they will be any more successful than HMV was. The lone Sunrise store here in Ottawa typically sells new release DVDs for about $30-$35. The Audio Video Centre in Hintonburg - where I shop for movies - typically sells new release Blu-Rays for $15.95, taxes included.

That's interesting. I was in a mall recently that had a Sunrise Records still listed on the mall map. "That's weird, there hasn't been one in this mall for over ten years" I thought. MusicWorld was no longer listed but I remember it remaining years after Sunrise closed.

[Brad to the Bone]

I was in a mall recently that had a Sunrise Records still listed on the mall map. "That's weird, there hasn't been one in this mall for over ten years" I thought. MusicWorld was no longer listed but I remember it remaining years after Sunrise closed.

Would you believe there's still one Sam the Record Man left in Canada? It's in the Quinte Mall in Belleville, Ontario.

[alucard]

I am quite lucky with Gilbert Musique in Paris , the last interesting brick and motar store left. Their main business is school books and stationary and they are less dependant on music sales I suppose. The megastores have all closed , I really miss the one on the Camps Ellysees which was open 7 days a week up to midnight and had a good selection. I miss also the Fame shop in Amsterdam.
FNAC has lost its interest completely in terms of music.

[Trane]

I am quite lucky with Gilbert Musique in Paris , the last interesting brick and motar store left. Their main business is school books and stationary and they are less dependant on music sales I suppose. The megastores have all closed , I really miss the one on the Camps Ellysees which was open 7 days a week up to midnight and had a good selection. I miss also the Fame shop in Amsterdam.
FNAC has lost its interest completely in terms of music.

Martin, have you tried the FNAC at Les Halles... It's always had a proggier-than-usual offer

Croc-O-Disc was never really interesting for progheads, IMHO, however Souffle Continu (close to Père Lachaise) should be right up your alley.