HMV in Watford to close

10:40am Thursday 7th February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Zoe Forsey, Reporter

HMV in Watford to close HMV in Watford to close

The Watford branch of entertainment retailer HMV will be closing, administrators announced this morning.

The chain has revealed that 66 stores will be closing their doors, including the one in The Harlequin centre, leaving 930 employees without jobs.

There is no set date for the closures but it is expected to be within the next couple of months.

Stores in St Albans and Luton will also be shut.

The retailer, which has been running for 92 years, was forced into administration on January 15.

Nick Edwards, joint administrator, said: "As part of our ongoing review of HMV’s financial position, we have now completed a review of the store portfolio and have identified 66 loss making stores for closure.

"This step has been taken in order to enhance the prospects of securing the business’ future as a growing concern.

"We continue to receive strong support from staff and are extremely grateful to them for their commitment during an understandably difficult period.

"All other key stakeholders remain very supportive and I continue to be hopeful of securing a future for the restructured business."

Comments(17)

inayellowshirt says...
10:47am Thu 7 Feb 13

shop not worth the reported super high rents charged in the Harlequin?

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MarsLander says...
10:49am Thu 7 Feb 13

Sad to see the end of a giant left behind by technological advances.

It was a pretty dire shop though.

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Andrew1963 says...
11:54am Thu 7 Feb 13

I suspect, (like the Oxford Street store), this is driven by thje ability to re-sell the lease in a good location. I had a voucher to get £5 off in January if i spent £35. to be honest i could not think what i would want. I only visited HMV to buy Christmas gifts requested by others. Anything i wanted, i could find digitally or online. At the end of the day HMV staff did not have the depth of knowledge, and unlike a good bookshop, browsing in a branch looking at DVD covers is not particularly exciting. If i had a choice between the two I would rather see Waterstones return to the town centre than HMV.

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Sara says...
1:21pm Thu 7 Feb 13

I'm trying to think who would buy things from HMV. I wouldn't have shopped there, but nor would our 16 year old daughter. Unlike Waterstones, which both of us appreciated and used.

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Andrew Turpie says...
1:52pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Sara wrote:
I'm trying to think who would buy things from HMV. I wouldn't have shopped there, but nor would our 16 year old daughter. Unlike Waterstones, which both of us appreciated and used.
Well done you!

Why do you need to think about who would buy from there?

Blindlingly obvious that its people who prefer physical media and appriciate album covers over poorly compressed digitally streamed pap and would glady pay a few more pounds for the privilege, factor in those that are intelligent enough to know that the backbone of the UK broadband infrastructure will at some time go pop with the under investment on switching equipment and fibres between exchanges.

We could factor in the customers who have a wider social concious who understand that the majority of on line retailers are only surviving because they have chosen to pay little or no taxes (and this is supported by customers who still willingly purchase from them).

The only thing HMV are guilty of is playing by the rules.

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Sara says...
3:03pm Thu 7 Feb 13

The fact hat two music and DVD purchasers of different ages and types didn't use HMV should have made them think how to encourage more people in.

I made the comparison with Waterstones because we were always happy to browse and buy physical books. For the record, all of my (reasonably large) music collection is physical, rather than online.

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Andrew Turpie says...
3:35pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Sara wrote:
The fact hat two music and DVD purchasers of different ages and types didn't use HMV should have made them think how to encourage more people in.

I made the comparison with Waterstones because we were always happy to browse and buy physical books. For the record, all of my (reasonably large) music collection is physical, rather than online.
Love the pun "for the record" ;-)

PersonalIy,I don't understand this need to be encouraged or enticed into a shop. It's common knowledge that HMV sell music and video products that are no different whatsoever to any other place that sells them. Maybe it's just me- I'm not for wandering around the harlequin looking like a drooling zombie from Romero's Dawn of the dead (or broswing I think the term is called). I find out about a product, go out and get it and go home again, no drama no fuss. Just can't be bothered with all the consumeristic razzmatazz.

Good to hear you have a physical collection. People always seem impressed when they walk in and see mine.

I wonder if digital junkies ask people if they want to come back to theirs to admire their external hard drive?

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Andrew Turpie says...
3:45pm Thu 7 Feb 13

*personally *browsing

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ED12 says...
5:08pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Another empty store in the Harlequin, I think the owners of the Harlequin are getting greedy.

There was a time when you never saw an empty unit and you also saw very few units become available, now there are lots of empty units. Waterstones only left due to the high rents and no doubt this is why HMV are leaving too.

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LuthersLoveChild says...
6:46pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Regards the ability to resell the lease, this is spurious. The lease for HMV is up in 2013 and there was talk of them moving the store before the administration.

I have a close firend who works there. Lets give some thought to the hard working staff who lost their job due to board level mismanagement. If only they increased their range of records / DVDs and got rid of the Tshirts etc, they'd probably be staying.

Its crazy to think there is no dedicated media shop in the town now. I'll not pay £15 from WHSmith thank you.

Another empty shop in the Harlequin. IF the owners haven't realised, it drives down the rental value of all the other units when the footfall drops. And now anyone needing to buya last minute CD or film will go elsewhere. Shame.

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Wacko Jacko says...
6:47pm Thu 7 Feb 13

I don't like shopping at Amazon as they don't pay UK taxes, but in the end HMV's grim shopping experience and high prices drive their customers into the arms of the on-line retailers.
Sad to see another vacancy in the Harlequin or should I say Into or whatever it's going to be called. The owners need to be careful, if they lose too many units others will leave too.

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Oxhey-Moron says...
8:18pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Andrew Turpie wrote:
Sara wrote:
I'm trying to think who would buy things from HMV. I wouldn't have shopped there, but nor would our 16 year old daughter. Unlike Waterstones, which both of us appreciated and used.
Well done you!

Why do you need to think about who would buy from there?

Blindlingly obvious that its people who prefer physical media and appriciate album covers over poorly compressed digitally streamed pap and would glady pay a few more pounds for the privilege, factor in those that are intelligent enough to know that the backbone of the UK broadband infrastructure will at some time go pop with the under investment on switching equipment and fibres between exchanges.

We could factor in the customers who have a wider social concious who understand that the majority of on line retailers are only surviving because they have chosen to pay little or no taxes (and this is supported by customers who still willingly purchase from them).

The only thing HMV are guilty of is playing by the rules.
I bought lots from there.

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Mohandas says...
9:50pm Thu 7 Feb 13

We're certainly burning new records with the scale of these high street closures. Landlords and the rest in the food chain will need to cut their love affair with high rent charges.

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drunkenduck says...
12:21am Fri 8 Feb 13

Many of HMV items like CDs etc, seems to be cheaper on their own website. These the problem. But saying that, we have to pay more for our music, movies comparing to other rich nations.

Rip Off UK.

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Razor Sharp says...
9:47am Fri 8 Feb 13

I used to like HMV .......... back in the 1990's. Out-dated, lost in time, poor marketing, limited choice, over-priced, badly led and managed at executive level, what does one expect to happen to such a business in the digital economy?

Perhaps vinyl records, CDs and physical media will become niche plays (excuse the pun).

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sowhatsgoingonhere says...
12:14pm Fri 8 Feb 13

It was a very badly managed store. With the excessive rent, I'd be surprised if they can re-lease it.

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ORBY says...
1:26pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Sorry to see the impending closure of HMV , but what is happening to them is not new.
I used to enjoy going to my local record shop to buy my vinyl/cds. I could get more or less anything I wanted and if they didn't have it in stock I could order it. And the people who ran them were quite knowledgeable and could steer you in the right direction. Where else could you go and mention part of a title or lyric and they would know exactly what you wanted. Along came HMV/Virgin and the supermarkets and because they ordered in bulk they could sell it cheaper than the shops, hence the end of Past & Present/Crosbys/Curt
is' and the stall in the market. So don't weep any tears, just join the masses and download what you want, but be quick because there is always something else around the corner!

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