FEATURE:
A High Street Institution
IMAGE CREDIT: HMV
is about to be marked. On 20th July, 1921 the first HMV store was opened on London's Oxford Street. We are about to mark a century of, to me, a high street institution! Although the chain has suffered some mixed fortunes fairly recently, there is a feeling of resurgence and future planning. During a pandemic, mixed with the fact that streaming has a massive place in the music world, one would expect a chain like HMV to struggle or go out of business. Whilst some of its stores have closed, it does seem that things are looking bright. I am going to provide some explanations why, though it is worth getting some background. Here is some history about HMV:
“hmv is a leading specialist retailer of music, film, games and technology products, with over 120 stores around the UK, offering a wide selection of new release and catalogue titles.
The hmv brand, made famous by the iconic image of the ‘dog and trumpet’ trademark featuring ‘Nipper, is practically synonymous with the very history and development of British popular music and culture. Hmv’s rich heritage as a retail specialist stretches back over 90 years to 20th July 1921 when its first store in London’s Oxford Street was officially opened by the celebrated British composer and conductor, Sir Edward Elgar.
Since that time hmv has made music and entertainment available to its customers in every format imaginable: from sheet music and the earliest gramophone 78s to today’s digital downloads. On the way hmv has, of course, notably also taken in vinyl singles and albums, cassettes and CDs as well as film and TV content on VHS, DVD & Blu-ray and games titles across all platforms. More recently still hmv has gone ‘back to the future’ by carrying the latest portable technology such as headphones and tablets.
As one of the first high street brands to recognise the passion that so many of us have for music, film and games, hmv virtually invented the idea of instore events and product launches, and over the years many of the world’s greatest artistes have appeared in its stores to meet their fans, sometimes to perform live or occasionally just to shop. From recording giants such as Elgar and Yehudi Menuhin in its very earliest days to icons including Cliff Richard, Kate Bush, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Madonna, David Bowie, Beyonce, Amy Winehouse and Quentin Tarantino and more recently Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and One Direction, hmv has hosted them all.
In its first few decades hmv traded principally from its main London flagship store and supplied own-label products to recognised dealers around the country on a franchise basis, but all that changed with the advent of first Elvis then the Beatles in the late Fifties and early Sixties and explosion of popular culture that followed. More HMV stores began to open around London and then gradually the rest of the country as the chain began to take shape and expand during the Seventies. But it was really in the Eighties, through the combined catalyst of Liveaid in 1985 and the advent of the compact disc around the same time that hmv really took off as a leading retail brand with a national footprint.
hmv continued to expand through the 1990s, reaching 100 stores in 1997. The launch of the DVD format in the late 1990s propelled the hmv’s growth for the following decade with the company exceeding 200 UK stores in 2004”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Doug Putman
I know that some stores have closed and there have been occasions when HMV looked doomed. I think the fact that Doug Putman took over and has helped to rejuvenate HMV means that there is some stability. It seems that physical music is not going anywhere. People love it, and there is this demand for something tangible. The experience of shopping and buying music this way is going to increase and take on a new lease when COVID-19 restrictions ease. At present, the chain is excited to celebrate a hundred years on the high street. Most of us have some experience of HMV. In a recent interview with Music Week, Doug Putman spoke about the anniversary - and how HMV has fared some challenging times:
“In the latest edition of Music Week, we mark the anniversary with an eight-page special on HMV, including interviews with owner Doug Putman, MD Phil Halliday and marketing boss Patrizia Leighton, plus long-term events supremo Simon Winter - and we hear from the industry about their HMV memories.
HMV has been through tough times in the past decade - including two periods of administration - and the lockdowns during the pandemic.
But the retailer is now open again and has seen its vinyl strategy under new owner Doug Putman pay off as the format continues to grow. It’s also becoming an even more vital outlet for physical music and entertainment, following the news that Sainsbury’s is to stop selling CDs and DVDs.
They say that less is more, and we say that's dumb, MORE IS MORE!
— hmv (@hmvtweets) July 1, 2021
So here is ONE FINAL batch of our #hmvExclusive 1921 Centenary Edition vinyl for the road!
👉 https://t.co/XcDJIf1qLH
in-store Sat 24 July (online 4pm)#happy100hmv #hmvLovesVinyl pic.twitter.com/YhdNRq00w8
HMV is releasing special anniversary vinyl editions alongside merchandise. The celebrations can also step up a gear once Covid restrictions lift later this month.
“Once restrictions lift [on July 19] we’ll be able to do much more in stores, and given the year we’ve had, we’re determined to have a full year of celebrations,” Doug Putman told Music Week.
Here, Doug Putman opens up about the anniversary and the future of HMV - the last UK music chain...
HMV has been around for 100 years – why’s it endured when every other music/entertainment chain has departed?
“There have been other music chains in the UK, but there’s something unique about HMV that means it has remained relevant. I think part of the reason is that it’s always felt like a hub for music fans, with a vast range of titles and staff who have a huge enthusiasm for music and entertainment, but not intimidatingly so for shoppers who might have a more casual interest. It’s part of the fabric of the British high street, and as an extension of that, of the UK as a whole.”
The last few years have been quite a rollercoaster – how’s it been for you in an exciting and challenging period for HMV?
“When I bought HMV it had been through a highly publicised period of turmoil, but at the core was this really exciting and iconic brand that people still loved, and staff who are such fans of music, film and TV that their passion really shone through. The team and I worked really hard to build a stable foundation for the business going forward. We couldn’t have foreseen the impact the global pandemic would have, which means that we’ve accelerated the growth of our online store. But I’m convinced that physical, in-store retail will never be replaced, and we’ve seen that from the footfall we’ve had since we reopened following the lifting of the last set of restrictions.”
PHOTO CREDIT: HMV
What did HMV get right in recent years - and what’s changing?
“In some ways it’s good to be all things to everybody - I’m proud that regardless of whether you’re into music, film or TV, HMV feels like home to many shoppers. But what did change was that we started really testing whether something felt right for us. This year we agreed to sponsor the Coventry Empire – now the HMV Empire - because there’s a symbiotic relationship between live music and music retail: it delivers something extra and truly personal for the fans.”
Do you have a favourite memory since you acquired HMV?
“We opened Europe’s largest entertainment store in October 2019 with The Vault in Birmingham, which offers not only a huge range of music, film and merchandise, but also a stage for both big artists and grassroots local bands to perform. It felt like a moment that put HMV back on the map. Last year we also saw Stormzy visit our stores, drawing huge crowds, and it showed the power that big artists have to drive excitement around music, and that experiencing music is something that can’t just be done in front of a screen”.
It is nice to think that HMV could survive for many years to come! One always wonders how much of the high street will be left before long. I am not sure whether Putman will change stores in terms of what they stock. The DVD and C.D. component might not be as popular as it was years ago. Vinyl is becoming more sought-after and important. I go to HMV as much as I can and hope that, one day, it returns to Oxford Street. There were two stores on Oxford Street; neither is open anymore.
PHOTO CREDIT: HMV
For me, HMV represents happy memories. When I was young and getting into music, I would take a bus ride into town with friends to buy an album or single – buying something as modest as a single was crucial to me! Alongside Our Price and Woolworths (which closed many years ago), HMV was a crucial portal for music discovery! The thrill of going in and seeing the album or single you wanted there on the display rack/shelve was a rush! It was not only music that I went there for. There is a lot of great merchandise and DVDs that I browsed. It is a nice place to be. Even though there are great record shops that provide the same experience, HMV offers something extra! It has that history and sense of legacy. It is testament to its place in the country that it can hold its head up after a century! It will be a very sad day if we ever have to walk around the high street and know that HMV does not exist anymore. To mark the big anniversary on 20th July, go and visit HMV or buy something from the website. The special anniversary vinyl editions look amazing. When restrictions lift next week, the store can welcome in more people and operate at near-normal. It will be a welcome stage for them after such a hard time. HMV is definitely such an important and loved part…
PHOTO CREDIT: PA Wire/PA Images
OF so many people’s lives.