HMV calls in the administrators [Archive]

duke knooby

15 Jan 2013, 00:27

Always hated HMV, used to go in and see what I could buy for half the price and better customer service on Amazon! Though I loved them at airports as I could bag some good deals before going to Saudi.

Will be sad though that this could see the end of CD signings... I can't see where else they would have them (Meat can hold a CD signing at my house though....)

this post confuses me abit... maybe im drunk

you hated hmv for letting you go in and browse a vast selection of music cds and dvd's...they let you touch the product, feel the product, see the artwork etc, even let ya listen to some of them... at hmv's expense through rents, rates, electricity, heating, wages etc... you could pick what you wanted, buy it, and have it there and then... or you could go, and browse HMV, pick what you wanted.. order it from the tax dodgerzon... wait a few days for your purchase to arrive, and feel happy that you saved a couple of quid?

say bye bye to the airport stores ya loved, bye bye to browsing a music store, and ultimately bye bye to cd signings

sorry for singling out your post sebastian, but it pretty much sums up why music and retail are ~~~~ed

Sebastian.

15 Jan 2013, 00:38

this post confuses me abit... maybe im drunk

you hated hmv for letting you go in and browse a vast selection of music cds and dvd's...they let you touch the product, feel the product, see the artwork etc, even let ya listen to some of them... at hmv's expense through rents, rates, electricity, heating, wages etc... you could pick what you wanted, buy it, and have it there and then... or you could go, and browse HMV, pick what you wanted.. order it from the tax dodgerzon... wait a few days for your purchase to arrive, and feel happy that you saved a couple of quid?

sorry for singling out your post sebastian, but it pretty much sums up why retail is ~~~~ed

Should have probably gone into more detail on why I hated HMV. Their store's are dark and dingy and full of identical rows.

The staff that I came across were terrible. Unhelpful people, who seemed to like to play hide in the back, or avoid the customer. Then they seem to have very little knowledge of any music or films and it's just an unpleasant experience on a whole.

Their demise had little to do with the internet. If they had better directors they could have turned around in less than no time!

Also don't think I always went into HMV and just wrote up an online shopping list for Amazon. But if something seemed pricey in HMV, I found I could go home and find it cheaper on the internet and yes I'd rather wait a day and save some money.

duke knooby

15 Jan 2013, 00:43

Their demise had little to do with the internet. If they had better directors they could have turned around in less than no time!

what ya mean??? isn't trevor moore in charge???

wasn't he the former boss off Jessops

ahhhh never mind :twisted:

duke knooby

15 Jan 2013, 00:46

if their stores were pretty shit, with uninterested staff, then thats a major failure, and i cant blame you for not wanting to shop there...

i still want to blame the t'internet though lol

The Flying Mouse

15 Jan 2013, 00:55

Should have probably gone into more detail on why I hated HMV. Their store's are dark and dingy and full of identical rows.

:twisted: I always found the branches I visited to be brightly lit and well spaced out.
Like most superstores.

The staff that I came across were terrible. Unhelpful people, who seemed to like to play hide in the back, or avoid the customer. Then they seem to have very little knowledge of any music or films and it's just an unpleasant experience on a whole.

Something else I can't say I agree with in my experience.
True, there are lazy sods in any company, but I can't say I can recall any one time I didn't get the help I required.
On the other hand, I remember several times I asked a member of staff a question and if they didn't know the answer they took the time to take me to the counter while they looked up the information on the store computer.
I'm not saying you're wrong in your opinion, but your experience is obviously very different from mine.

I think this............

Their demise had little to do with the internet. If they had better directors they could have turned around in less than no time!

Somewhat condradicts this................

if something seemed pricey in HMV, I found I could go home and find it cheaper on the internet and yes I'd rather wait a day and save some money.

Yes, there are a lot of items that are more expensive in store due to overheads. Staff, rent, utility bills, paying tax, etc.
The one time I remember thinking "no fricking way" was for what they were charging for the HCTB super delux box set. The instore price was pretty well out there :nuts:

But I still prefere the "live" shopping experience rather than clicking buttons online.
Also, the first time I met Meat was a signing at Virgin.
That was an amazing and unforgetable day.
Waiting in line with friends from this forum while they played non stop Loaf. It was a great atmosphere 8)
Then meeting the man himself (UNTOPPABLE) and getting my vinyl copy of Bat signed.
Then we all went for something to eat together. I still dream about the burger I had that day :mrgreen:

No more Virgin, no more signings there :sad:
Now HMV has joined the casualty list.

Julie in the rv mirror

15 Jan 2013, 06:37

As much as I like the convenience of the internet, I'm sad to see brick and mortar retailers go. I usually try to buy my music at an independent store, and I've been noticing that their inventory seems to be getting smaller and their prices getting higher. Even the big box retailers such as Best Buy only carry a fraction of the number of CD's and DVD's they used to.

Even more sad, IMO, is the loss of book stores; around here, there seems to be only one major book retailer left. So much for going and browsing in the bookstore. :(

People seem to love the convenience of electronic media (and lack of "clutter"), but there's nothing like holding an actual book or record (a CD will "do") in your hands.

I had a "discussion" on another board with an individual who was complaining that a special Record Store Day release wasn't available in a digital format for download. His position was that he never listens to vinyl anymore, it takes up room, and even if he were to rip it to an mp3 he'd be left with a "vinyl artifact" :roll: that he didn't want or need. He was basically asking for someone to do a rip and send him a copy, and trying to justify it by blaming the artist because it wasn't available digitally to begin with.

I told him that he obviously missed the whole point of Record Store Day, and that while I both have the equipment and know how to rip vinyl to mp3, no way in hell would I send him a copy, since it's both against the rules of the board to ask for copies of official releases, and it's because of people like him that indie stores are in trouble to begin with. The nerve of that guy. :?

Dave

15 Jan 2013, 07:38

People seem to love the convenience of electronic media (and lack of "clutter"), but there's nothing like holding an actual book or record (a CD will "do") in your hands.

I now do not own anything other than my computer or BluRay player that will play a physical CD. I do not own a home stereo and have no desire to do so. I had to take a few physical CD's for Christmas, as the items were not available digital. I have backed up the MP3 files ripped of the CD's and tossed the discs, as there is no where to store them at my house. If I want to listen to the music in my car....my iPhone synchs to the radio and voila. I could care less about the physical CD...it is now rubbish and and unnecessary addition to my carbon footprint. I'll fight being taxed over that nonsense the same way I will fight them trying to take away my guns. Just let me legally download, that's all I ask. I am more than willing to pay.

The Flying Mouse

15 Jan 2013, 07:44

I'll fight being taxed over that nonsense the same way I will fight them trying to take away my guns.

:twisted: What?
You'll tell them they'll have to pry physical releases into your cold dead hand? :bleh:

Sorry, the silly elf that lives in my keyboard took control for a moment there :oops:

Dave

15 Jan 2013, 09:37

,,,sorry...unnecessarily political....

JennaG

15 Jan 2013, 10:18

As much as I thought that ther customer service was appalling in my local branch of HMV, I still shopped there because if there's a CD I really want then I'd much rather go in on release day and buy it. It's far more exciting than clicking a couple of buttons on Amazon and then waiting for several days to get your purchase.

I think that specialist retailers have their advantages. If the staff are good at their jobs then they should demonstrate a degree of product knowledge that you wouldn't find in Tesco and could be invaluable if you don't know much about the product you're looking for.

Cherry.Loaf

15 Jan 2013, 11:06

I didn't even think of no more signings :(

HMV are overpriced though; the DVD I wanted is £7.99 on amazon/play and £20 at HMV and now I won't even be able to use my voucher =/ wonderful

robgomm

15 Jan 2013, 11:18

Should have probably gone into more detail on why I hated HMV. Their store's are dark and dingy and full of identical rows.

The staff that I came across were terrible. Unhelpful people, who seemed to like to play hide in the back, or avoid the customer. Then they seem to have very little knowledge of any music or films and it's just an unpleasant experience on a whole.

Their demise had little to do with the internet. If they had better directors they could have turned around in less than no time!

Also don't think I always went into HMV and just wrote up an online shopping list for Amazon. But if something seemed pricey in HMV, I found I could go home and find it cheaper on the internet and yes I'd rather wait a day and save some money.

I'm sorry you have had such a bad experience at your HMV, but it's not really fair to think that all HMV stores are like that is it? As testified by many here and indeed myself i've always had a good experience at a HMV. Plus i've actually found many deals in a HMV that were just as cheap as shopping online, DVD box sets, games, consoles etc. So they can do some good deals, and like someone said sometimes you don't want to have to wait 5 days or so for someone to deliver it, it's convenient you can just go and get it straight away. Especially if it's for a present or something. I get cross sometimes if i preorder something and it deoesn't arrive on release day. But that doesn't happen if you go in HMV or somewhere on release day.

Bottom line i'm putting accross is: HMV has a valuable place in the retail market, and also don't tar every HMV store with the same brush just because yours is bad. I and many others have had great experiences.

robgomm

15 Jan 2013, 11:19

I didn't even think of no more signings :(

HMV are overpriced though; the DVD I wanted is £7.99 on amazon/play and £20 at HMV and now I won't even be able to use my voucher =/ wonderful

They're only in administration, they are not shutting down for good. They said their stores will remain open and carry on as normal.

Monstro

15 Jan 2013, 12:28

They're only in administration, they are not shutting down for good. They said their stores will remain open and carry on as normal.

Not accepting gift cards is not trading as normal.

The stores are only open whilst they search for a buyer, they'll find one because the brand name is worth a few quid but odds on it'll become an online retailer and the shops will close.

HMV failed to trade on it's strengths, as the only high street music retailer that's where they should've focussed, regardless what the digital generation do there will always be a market for physical copies for people who don't want to listen to compressed MP3 copies and want to hear the music as the artist, sound engineer, mixer/masterer wanted it to be heard. Specialist music retailers will always have a niche, HMV should've downsized to this instead of branching out into games etc which was what hundreds of others were already selling, they'd have cornered this market.

I've got my music centre in the front room, cd player in the car (had to search for this when we bought one last year) and will always prefer to purchase/own/listen to a physical copy, I do do digital and not denying it but will always prefer the original and best.

R.I.P. HMV, though I do believe the fault was your own.

Sebastian.

15 Jan 2013, 13:10

Anyone see the Bat 2 stuff on the BBC coverage?

chairboys

15 Jan 2013, 13:25

Anyone see the Bat 2 stuff on the BBC coverage?

Yep! Probably old footage?

robgomm

15 Jan 2013, 13:41

Not accepting gift cards is not trading as normal.

The stores are only open whilst they search for a buyer, they'll find one because the brand name is worth a few quid but odds on it'll become an online retailer and the shops will close.

HMV failed to trade on it's strengths, as the only high street music retailer that's where they should've focussed, regardless what the digital generation do there will always be a market for physical copies for people who don't want to listen to compressed MP3 copies and want to hear the music as the artist, sound engineer, mixer/masterer wanted it to be heard. Specialist music retailers will always have a niche, HMV should've downsized to this instead of branching out into games etc which was what hundreds of others were already selling, they'd have cornered this market.

I've got my music centre in the front room, cd player in the car (had to search for this when we bought one last year) and will always prefer to purchase/own/listen to a physical copy, I do do digital and not denying it but will always prefer the original and best.

R.I.P. HMV, though I do believe the fault was your own.

Didn't know they weren't accepting gift cards any more.

Err, they are a large online retailer also already?

It's confusing to me how this has happened, HMV always had a good influx of people whenever i've been in one of it's stores, good promotions and sale items, not just music, a famous name, a decent online presence. All I can assume it's that it's bad management and backroom administration that has caused this.

Monstro

15 Jan 2013, 13:59

Err, they are a large online retailer also already?

Yup, no way it was going to work as the business as a whole was losing too much money on the high street, one profitable side of the business couldn't support the business as a whole.

It's confusing to me how this has happened, HMV always had a good influx of people whenever i've been in one of it's stores, good promotions and sale items, not just music

People don't necessarily mean sales, you can look at the item but as soon as you see the price and realise it's cheaper elsewhere online where are the majority going to buy from?

Poor management and poor business decisions.

chairboys

15 Jan 2013, 15:15

My only real grumble with HMV shops is sometimes their assortment. I would like to see a far more extensive back catalogue from each artist. I may discover a new band, yet not be able to buy much of their work in the high street store.
Say somebody finds Meat and wishes to purchase every studio album from Bat to Basket, they certainly don't want to search the shelves to then be met with fifteen copies of Meat and Bonnie's Heaven and Hell. I understand the ordering and stocking of at least one of each artist's studio albums is laden with complexities, but in today's technological world where supermarkets can adjust orders at a moment's notice I think HMV would be better served to hold a bigger library of CD's.
I have ordered many items online (Mrs. Chairboys does!) just because the internet library is virtually limitless. But, I'd much rather unearth a gem whilst browsing in store.

Julie in the rv mirror

15 Jan 2013, 16:09

My only real grumble with HMV shops is sometimes their assortment. I would like to see a far more extensive back catalogue from each artist. [...]
I have ordered many items online (Mrs. Chairboys does!) just because the internet library is virtually limitless. But, I'd much rather unearth a gem whilst browsing in store.

I think this is a self-perpetuating cycle. I find myself to be "forced" more and more to go online for items, because they aren't available in the store. I do understand, though, that it isn't in the retailers' best interests to stock items that they might not sell, even if it's only a copy or two.

Adje

15 Jan 2013, 17:21

My thoughts are with the employees that might lose their jobs at a hard time like this.

As for the store (or CD/DVD stores in general) I feel less pitty. To begin with physical stores can't compete with internet stores like Amazon. I'd be damned to pay 15,- when the same item on internet costs 10,-. What's 5,-? Well buy 10 different items and it becomes 50,-.

Besides, the mega stores have lost their touch with many customers. I can buy all the Justin Bieber CD's but if I dare to go for a Meat Loaf album I end up empty handed. Oh I can order them at the register... but isn't that what I did behind my own computer at home? For less...

Besides, megastores like HMV, Best Buy etc. have become 'supermarkets'. Yes the majority of the people working there will know if a title is in stock, but most of the time they don't have a clue who the artist is.

And who knows, maybe something good comes out of it. Like smaller CD/DVD stores, runned by people who actually care for the product again. Then it's fun again to nose around in a store. All the HMV's, Free Record Shops, Best Buy stores etc. seem to lack a Heart for music and film. That is what I want in a store (if possible with decent prices, but that seems wishful thinking)

So, as I said at the beginning, I feel for the people who might lose their jobs. But that is how far my symphaty goes, I'm affraid.

chairboys

15 Jan 2013, 17:30

I think this is a self-perpetuating cycle. I find myself to be "forced" more and more to go online for items, because they aren't available in the store. I do understand, though, that it isn't in the retailers' best interests to stock items that they might not sell, even if it's only a copy or two.

This is exactly the problem. But, they should speculate to accumulate. Just as you walk into a supermarket and expect to find the common tin of beans as well as the luxury pot of caviar, I just feel they could stock more. If I knew it had a policy of stocking the artist's career then I would be in there even more, casually browsing and then ultimately spending more!

wolfy35

16 Jan 2013, 15:20

I must admit that I have embraced the digital age happily and for most music I only purchase on download never a physical copy, For Meat however that is different. Meat I have always & will always purchase a physical copy, admittedly for some time now the physical copy has only ever been out of its case once for me to rip it to WMA lossless format at 940kbps from there a copy is on my computer and on the memory card in my phone.

Before you say it I know that technically under UK law it is, for the time being, still technically illegal to rip a CD even for personal use but I always use copyright protection & will never give anyone a copy. Plus UK law is being changed to legalise it for personal use & that will be applied retrospectively as long as you own the original it was ripped from.

I no longer buy physical copies of books either some time ago now I jumped to ebook format & am on my 3rd kindle after using the first 2 so much their batteries died. As with music however there is one author I do buy physical copies but have them sat on a bookshelf unread.

LucyK!

16 Jan 2013, 15:48

As I said on Facebook yesterday, I think the saddest thing will be the end of the album/single signings.

Concert tickets and VIP packages are so expensive these days that for some people an album signing is their only opportunity to meet their idol "for free", I'd be very sad indeed to see that taken away.

Completely agree with what's already been said, buying a single or album from your favourite artist used to be an event to look forward to! I remember back in 1999, Meat took ill on the VBO tour and my concert (along with my very first M&G) were postponed. I was devasted in the dramatic way that only a 13 year old girl can be, but I remember making sure I pulled myself together because I had to get to town to buy the Is Nothing Sacred single!

Sad times indeed.

LucyK!

16 Jan 2013, 15:59

Make that Blockbusters too...can't say I'm terribly shocked at that one, don't think anyone rents films anymore, not with the on demand services available, but yet another sad story for business.

robgomm

16 Jan 2013, 16:37

Make that Blockbusters too...can't say I'm terribly shocked at that one, don't think anyone rents films anymore, not with the on demand services available, but yet another sad story for business.

I think Blockbusters has been a long long time coming. They used to be good and I did used to rent some stuff from them, but then they changed a lot. A stricter process for signing up for membership, rubbish rental deals i.e expensive prices for not very long a rental period, generally too expensive in my experience. So i'm not surprised about that one at all.

wolfy35

16 Jan 2013, 20:40

Make that Blockbusters too...can't say I'm terribly shocked at that one, don't think anyone rents films anymore, not with the on demand services available, but yet another sad story for business.

Blockbusters should be used to the process now this is their 3rd time in administration and 3rd owner, Cant see anyone else wanting to take them on. Seriously though why pay £3.99 for 2 days DVD or bluray rental when for £5 you can have a months membership of something like netflix etc that gives unlimited free streaming.

matty1

16 Jan 2013, 22:49

i like hmv you can chill look around and pick up cd/ dvd you would not of look at or thought of buying on line if it dose go and i think it will where do you go to look around in town asda tesco not the same

The Flying Mouse

17 Jan 2013, 12:57

:twisted: More and more the online world is taking over the physical world.
Online sales making places like HMV obsolete and companies like Netflix seeing the end of Blockbusters etc.

The problem is, the products from these companies are so cheap because they pay virtually no staff compaired to shop branches.
Yes, it means a lower price for the customer, but it means more and more stores closing and more and more people losing jobs.
If the trend continues you can kiss the retail (which is one of the biggest employing industries) goodbye in terms of shops.
That means that unemployment will continue to grow while fewer and fewer jobs will be appearing on the market.
With less staff it means that all the profits are kicked straight upstairs into the bank accounts of large companies (where it pretty much sits there doing ~~~~~~ all except collect more interest for the company), while nothing is being distributed to a work force that would in turn spend that money and keep the economy flowing.

The more retail shops dump their staff the less people there are earning a wage to spend with other businesses.

At this rate we're all going to have full CD racks (or MP3 files if you prefere) and have lots of movies to watch, but the companies we work for (if you are in an industry that depends on custom from the public) are going to have a lot less customers.

As an additional note on cutting staff, Asda has a lot of self service tills. I never use them myself (unless i'm in a real rush).
The more custom that goes though the self service, the less goes through the tills, and if the records show that more people are using self service rather than using tills, Asda will be quite happy to cut back on their staff and install more self service.

We're going through a second industrial revolution, and while it's great for the big companies who can make their profits without paying any wages, it's not a good thing for the economy on the whole.

duke knooby

17 Jan 2013, 15:14

I have to agree 100% with mr mouse.

The world is indeed going to hell and a handbasket

chairboys

17 Jan 2013, 17:55

I have to agree 100% with mr mouse.

I rarely find much to disagree with Mr. Mouse, but I don't believe we are spiralling out of control! One door closes and another opens. If you look back over history at say regular 20 or 30 year intervals I bet they all look vastly different and you'll discover that we always adapt for the better.
I'm ready to be shot at!
A high street full of bookies is fine by me :-)

The Flying Mouse

17 Jan 2013, 18:18

I rarely find much to disagree with Mr. Mouse,

:twisted: Wise chap :mrgreen: :lol:

but I don't believe we are spiralling out of control! One door closes and another opens. If you look back over history at say regular 20 or 30 year intervals I bet they all look vastly different and you'll discover that we always adapt for the better.
I'm ready to be shot at!
A high street full of bookies is fine by me :-)

Online buying is not the only reason for the financial mess we're in, but it's doing it's bit to make things worse.

I think of the economy like a lava lamp.
The money starts at the bottom, works it's way to the top, and then flows back to the bottom to come back to the top again.
With businesses that don't have a large workforce the lava flows straight to the top and then just sort of stays there.

Retail is a massive industry, and if you mess with the ammount of people involved in that industry it's going to have a knock on effect.

For instance.
A man works for HMV.
HVM gives him money.
The man goes the pub and spends some of his wages.
The pub makes money.
The pub pays me for doing a gig.
I use some of this increrase in disposable income to buy a CD at HMV.
The world keeps turning.

HMV goes bust.
The man has no money so doesn't go the pub.
The pub suffers financial losses so can't aford to pay me.
I can't buy a CD at HMV because i've no bloody money and there's no bloody shop :facepalm:

Meanwhile, the bloke who used to work for HMV now gets his drink at Asda, uses the self service till, and puts some other poor sod out of a job :doh:

Again, this is not the only factor in the currect ecenomic mess, but if it doesn't make things better it makes it worse.

robgomm

18 Jan 2013, 10:54

:twisted: Wise chap :mrgreen: :lol:

Online buying is not the only reason for the financial mess we're in, but it's doing it's bit to make things worse.

I think of the economy like a lava lamp.
The money starts at the bottom, works it's way to the top, and then flows back to the bottom to come back to the top again.
With businesses that don't have a large workforce the lava flows straight to the top and then just sort of stays there.

Retail is a massive industry, and if you mess with the ammount of people involved in that industry it's going to have a knock on effect.

For instance.
A man works for HMV.
HVM gives him money.
The man goes the pub and spends some of his wages.
The pub makes money.
The pub pays me for doing a gig.
I use some of this increrase in disposable income to buy a CD at HMV.
The world keeps turning.

HMV goes bust.
The man has no money so doesn't go the pub.
The pub suffers financial losses so can't aford to pay me.
I can't buy a CD at HMV because i've no bloody money and there's no bloody shop :facepalm:

Meanwhile, the bloke who used to work for HMV now gets his drink at Asda, uses the self service till, and puts some other poor sod out of a job :doh:

Again, this is not the only factor in the currect ecenomic mess, but if it doesn't make things better it makes it worse.

Arr but it's not as simple as that though is it? So the shop closes so you cant get your stuff there, but then it means you go and buy it elsewhere or online instead, and then due to the millions more people that do that because their shop closed down the other companies struggle with demand, so they decide hey we need to expand to cope with this, so they employ more people, build more warehouses and centres (such as Amazon have done in my home town recently which created 600+ new jobs), and then you have more people with money to spend again.

My view on it is that I don't think it's necessarily making the economy worse, it's just changing the structure of the economy, and change is inevitable alongside the progress of technology. I think the high street will survive, but it will be more limited in scope. There will always be woman who want to do clothes shopping, there will always be people who want to eat out, there will always be a large number of people who don't trust online banking so the physical banks will have to be there, but the high street will become a lot smaller and limited in scope. It's sad but times change.

The Flying Mouse

18 Jan 2013, 16:03

Arr but it's not as simple as that though is it?

:twisted: You're right, it isn't.

So the shop closes so you cant get your stuff there, but then it means you go and buy it elsewhere or online instead, and then due to the millions more people that do that because their shop closed down the other companies struggle with demand, so they decide hey we need to expand to cope with this, so they employ more people, build more warehouses and centres (such as Amazon have done in my home town recently which created 600+ new jobs), and then you have more people with money to spend again.

HMV own 238 stores in the UK, employing 4,350 members of staff.

From what I can see on the web, Amazon employs 69,100 world wide.
So how many (or few) of those employees are based in the UK, I can only imagine.
So a 600 job increase put against a 4,350 loss on the jobs front is still a lot more people out of work.

My view on it is that I don't think it's necessarily making the economy worse, it's just changing the structure of the economy, and change is inevitable alongside the progress of technology.

Each to their own opinion, but I think it does make a difference.
Not an earth shattering difference, perhaps, but the worse the state of the economy the more important small differences make.

I think the high street will survive, but it will be more limited in scope. There will always be woman who want to do clothes shopping, there will always be people who want to eat out, there will always be a large number of people who don't trust online banking so the physical banks will have to be there, but the high street will become a lot smaller and limited in scope. It's sad but times change.

Agreed.
I can't see the high street vanishing completley (please god, no :shock: ) but, like you, I can see there being a lot less variety.

To be fair, i'm a self confessed dinosaur :lol:
I remember when I was a kid oy parents would take my brother and I into town every Saturday morning.
We'd go for our breakfast somewhere first, and then we'd have a wander round the shops for a while. My mum or dad might buy something, and my brother and I might get a toy if we were lucky.
Those were good times.
Shopping wasn't just about go to shop - give money - take stuff - go home. It was a family activity, a experience.
I've already mentioned how, in recent years, i've enjoyed going to town on release day to get Meat's lattest album or live release.
Crowding down there with all the other fans to get a copy made it fun and exciting (you can tell I really live the high life eh? :lol: )
Going for a bite to eat to mark the occassion was always a must too (i'm seeing a link between me going shopping and eating burgers here :bleh: ).
Likewise, i've already mentioned that without Virgin there wouldn't have been a signing the day I first met Meat, and I wouldn't trade that day for anything.
Not just meeting my idol, but the whole day, meeting up with the crowd from here, buying the single in store, waiting in the que waiting to meet Meat with more and more butterflies flying round my tummy and having the time of my life joining in in the sing along we were having while we were waiting for our turn to meet him.

If I live to be 100 i'll still remember that day with a smile for all those reasons.
I'd go as far to say it was one of the best days of my life, and it wouldn't have happened without Virgin.

So I loved shops when I was a kid, and I still have reason to love them now.

So you might perhaps think i'm being nostalgic, or even that i'm looking through rose coloured glasses, but I believe, for economic reasons and the fact that IMHO they make life BETTER, the decline of the physical shop is something to be mourned.

robgomm

18 Jan 2013, 16:18

:twisted: You're right, it isn't.

HMV own 238 stores in the UK, employing 4,350 members of staff.

From what I can see on the web, Amazon employs 69,100 world wide.
So how many (or few) of those employees are based in the UK, I can only imagine.
So a 600 job increase put against a 4,350 loss on the jobs front is still a lot more people out of work.

Each to their own opinion, but I think it does make a difference.
Not an earth shattering difference, perhaps, but the worse the state of the economy the more important small differences make.

Agreed.
I can't see the high street vanishing completley (please god, no :shock: ) but, like you, I can see there being a lot less variety.

To be fair, i'm a self confessed dinosaur :lol:
I remember when I was a kid oy parents would take my brother and I into town every Saturday morning.
We'd go for our breakfast somewhere first, and then we'd have a wander round the shops for a while. My mum or dad might buy something, and my brother and I might get a toy if we were lucky.
Those were good times.
Shopping wasn't just about go to shop - give money - take stuff - go home. It was a family activity, a experience.
I've already mentioned how, in recent years, i've enjoyed going to town on release day to get Meat's lattest album or live release.
Crowding down there with all the other fans to get a copy made it fun and exciting (you can tell I really live the high life eh? :lol: )
Going for a bite to eat to mark the occassion was always a must too (i'm seeing a link between me going shopping and eating burgers here :bleh: ).
Likewise, i've already mentioned that without Virgin there wouldn't have been a signing the day I first met Meat, and I wouldn't trade that day for anything.
Not just meeting my idol, but the whole day, meeting up with the crowd from here, buying the single in store, waiting in the que waiting to meet Meat with more and more butterflies flying round my tummy and having the time of my life joining in in the sing along we were having while we were waiting for our turn to meet him.

If I live to be 100 i'll still remember that day with a smile for all those reasons.
I'd go as far to say it was one of the best days of my life, and it wouldn't have happened without Virgin.

So I loved shops when I was a kid, and I still have reason to love them now.

So you might perhaps think i'm being nostalgic, or even that i'm looking through rose coloured glasses, but I believe, for economic reasons and the fact that IMHO they make life BETTER, the decline of the physical shop is something to be mourned.

It is indeed to be mourned as I had similar experiences with my parents.