I refused to deal with them
as they wouldn't let me download all their music for nothing, so instead I only buy music off the internet form sites that don't want me to pay.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 12:59, 1 reply, 12 years ago)

without drawing out another argument,
They decided to focus on hardware and game sales, instead of the online market. Bad choice, that was all.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:02, Reply)

That and their prices were fucking awful if you wanted something outside the top 20

(PsychoChomp, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:05, Reply)

yeah.

( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:06, Reply)

I tried to buy series one of archer on DVD there a while back, it was £28, play had it for £9.50

(PsychoChomp, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:08, Reply)

I don't disagree
They didn't fail because of downloading, they failed because Amazon offered a much better service and lower prices. But, that was partly down to the fact that Amazon aren't paying the taxes that HMV had to, so it wasn't a level playing field.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:10, Reply)

HMV did relocate to Jersey a few years back though.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:12, Reply)

What, even the oxford street branch?
No wonder nobody bought anything.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:13, Reply)

That was the first bit they moved.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:21, Reply)

oh yeah, they failed to provide the service people wanted at the prices they wanted.
I can see what they were going for, but when you have places like play and game doing the one thing you're trying to do better, better than you, and probably sunk a ton of cash in to if the re-fit near me was anything to go by then there is no chance. They didn't want to or could not compete with iTunes and amazon etc, and failed to compete where they chose to go with the business.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:18, Reply)

Trying to compete on the high street with Game was a daft idea.
Especially since, I would think, most people buy computer games from Steam or similar now.

Also, who even buy films anymore, let alone from an actual shop. Still, they had One Direction tshirts.
( Kroney, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:39, Reply)

They probably won't totally fail though
The record/music/whatever industry needs a high street chain or else they are tied to the amazon/online model entirely.

So HMV will survive but will be slimmed down, I reckon.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:23, Reply)

The industry have been supporting them for over a year already
and it didn't work.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:25, Reply)

that's mostly because, as you and others have pointed out
their current model is fucking woeful. My money is maybe half the shops shutting, but a buyer taking on the business as a whole with an improved model and keeping the name. The record labels will want that, so will still offer favourable terms
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:32, Reply)

There will be a few independent shops around, other than that you'll be buying cd's from the supermarket unless you purchase online.

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:27, Reply)

I don't think that's going to be the case
but you could of course be right, time will tell. But there's still a strong market for actual shops selling music, DVDs etc, they just need a better model than they had
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Tue 15 Jan 2013, 13:33, Reply)