Will You Laugh When HMV Goes Under?

The music retailer HMV is struggling big time and could go out of business next year.

Good. I have nothing but contempt for this company. When I was in my teens they were charging upwards of £16 for a CD album, and did so for years. Only when Amazon came along were they forced to cut their prices, but I honestly think it was too late - too many people were like me and had gotten used to buying CDs elsewhere.

In the 90's I used to buy all my CDs from X-Records on Bridge Street in protest at HMV's prices.

Absolute wankers and I will dance on the HMV grave when they go under. Are you with me?

not really...

100's of jobs will be lost, the directors will take most of the money and run leaving a trail of destruction and destroyed lives behind.

its the directors, the current economy and the fact the company has failed to look after their business by keeping up with current buying trends and market forces.

HMV have been lucky to survive this long if im honest... other media selling companies folded a long long time ago!

I totally agree Nat. And yes i do feel for those that will lose their jobs.

But HMV has taken the piss with it's prices for a decade.

I love my Blu-ray DVD's and sometimes i'll have a look in HMV and 2/3 year old blu-rays are sometimes priced ABOVE £20, and no I'm not joking, if you like your foreign films forget it, World Cinema section in HMV should be renamed piss take section. Just because it's got subtitles is that reason for it to be priced 4 times higher than on Amazon.

HMV is basically a mini bar for cds/dvds/games. A joke of a company.

Never use it. Ebay for me.

I'm with you on this Nat, HMV is a rip off on nearly everything it sells and things like blu ray dvds and console games are much dearer than other retailers. Not sure how they haven't gone under before now, their never seems to be many people in HMV when I go in.

I do feel for the people who will lose their jobs but they can't be surprised if they go bust when they look at the prices on their products compared to other companies.

Out of interest, is X-Records still going?

Funnily enough it is.

aaron_bwfc wrote:Funnily enough it is.

Good. Perhaps they can take on the HMV staff.

When i lived in the midlands FOPP was the shop of choice because it did 3 cd's for 15 quid and weekly specials where they sold 'classics' and some new releases for a fiver.

sadly! Yep it went under, i think a couple of outlets were bought by HMV worse luck!

You lot still pay for music?

Natasha Whittam wrote:

aaron_bwfc wrote:Funnily enough it is.

Good. Perhaps they can take on the HMV staff.

I am more than positive to realise that the X-Records on Bridge Street cannot take ALL HMV staff on, as X-Records is a small independent 1 branch shop - just like Piccadilly Records in Manchester.


Turn back the clock about 25 years we had on the high street:-

Our Price
HMV
Virgin Megastores
Woolworths
WH Smith

all selling records, CD's, Cassette's and just began to sell DVD's

plus independents such as:-

X Records
Andy's Records
and a couple of others in the Market Hall and the outside market!!!

Nowadays its just HMV on the high street otherwise its supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons or internet sites such as Amazon and Play.com

bwfc71 wrote:

I am more than positive to realise that the X-Records on Bridge Street cannot take ALL HMV staff on, as X-Records is a small independent 1 branch shop - just like Piccadilly Records in Manchester.

I am more than positive they can. I just phoned up and asked X-Records if they could take on 23 extra staff. They agreed.

I'm thinking of starting Whittam Recruitment Services plc, I think I have a real talent for placing people.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc71 wrote:

I am more than positive to realise that the X-Records on Bridge Street cannot take ALL HMV staff on, as X-Records is a small independent 1 branch shop - just like Piccadilly Records in Manchester.

I am more than positive they can. I just phoned up and asked X-Records if they could take on 23 extra staff. They agreed.

I'm thinking of starting Whittam Recruitment Services plc, I think I have a real talent for placing people.

what job would you place me in, just out of interest?

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc71 wrote:

I am more than positive to realise that the X-Records on Bridge Street cannot take ALL HMV staff on, as X-Records is a small independent 1 branch shop - just like Piccadilly Records in Manchester.

I am more than positive they can. I just phoned up and asked X-Records if they could take on 23 extra staff. They agreed.

I'm thinking of starting Whittam Recruitment Services plc, I think I have a real talent for placing people.

PLC? right away?

You're better off buying off HMV.com anyway. You pay less tax as they're based in the channel islands.

Reebok_Rebel wrote:

what job would you place me in, just out of interest?

Great, give me an impossible task as my first client.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Reebok_Rebel wrote:

what job would you place me in, just out of interest?

Great, give me an impossible task as my first client.

I dont think recruitment is your calling...

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc71 wrote:

I am more than positive to realise that the X-Records on Bridge Street cannot take ALL HMV staff on, as X-Records is a small independent 1 branch shop - just like Piccadilly Records in Manchester.

I am more than positive they can. I just phoned up and asked X-Records if they could take on 23 extra staff. They agreed.

I'm thinking of starting Whittam Recruitment Services plc, I think I have a real talent for placing people.

23 staff???

HMV Bolton only employ between 10 and 15!

And X-Records is fully staffed with 10, including the owner!

bwfc71 wrote:

And X-Records is fully staffed with 10, including the owner!

Bullshit. I know the owner, Mr X, and he has just e-mailed me to confirm they can take on 23 more staff:

I can take on 23 more staff. X.

The odd bargain here and there aside, HMV are rip off merchants. What annoys me is the inconsistency. You'll see a really classy DVD or CD reasonably priced, then some utter trash on the shelf above at £20. It's as though the directors are on drugs.

I went in X Records last year and thought the price tags were barcodes. I hope they go out of business too.