Belfast City Centre does have a decent selection of music shops - HMV, Head Music (which is similar to Fopp, I guess), Dragon Records & two others (one of which specializes in Country & Western, oddly enough). It's reassuring that three of those have been going for less than two years, but it looks like Belfast is somewhat of an exception rather than a new standard.

Belfast City Centre does have a decent selection of music shops - HMV, Head Music (which is similar to Fopp, I guess), Dragon Records & two others (one of which specializes in Country & Western, oddly enough). It's reassuring that three of those have been going for less than two years, but it looks like Belfast is somewhat of an exception rather than a new standard.

Head Music? What an excellent name :D

The problem is of course that HMV charge higher prices as they have to to stay in business. I genuinely don't think they are "ripping people off" as is often claimed, they just have far larger overheads than the online retailers that they need to cover.

 

Also, supermarkets can have lower margins on cds as they make their money on other products. Having said that though, I was surprised that in Tesco the top 10 cds are £10, the same as HMV.

I appreciate all that and don't think they are ripping people off but the price is king and buying music elsewhere is more convinient and cheaper. HMV's problems stem back from 2005/2006 when downloads starting to take off and the physical CD was starting to die out, they should have changed their business model but have been left behind the times and I think the damage is done now.

Edited December 16, 201212 yr by dennispennis123

IMO they have killed themselves. They were so slow to embrace online. By the time they got their act together it was too late. Play, Amazon etc got in there first and won the respect of it's customers. HMV have been playing catch up ever since. They didn't help themselves when they did launch their website when they couldn't get deliveries right. So many missing items, taking too long to arrive etc.

 

Pricing is another very big issue. I used to work for HMV years ago too, and I have the biggest respect for them so when I need to buy a CD, Blu Ray, download etc I always go to HMV first because I believe it's important for them to be around, but their pricing themselves out of the game.

 

(don't laugh) but recent things I've wanted to buy.

 

Prisoner Cell Block H DVD (Amazon £13, HMV £39)

Kylie Sing & Dance (Amazon £18, HMV £25)

This Means War Blu Ray (Amazon £11, HMV £23)

 

So with them 3 items alone, I have saved £45 by NOT shopping at HMV. People are catching on to how they have save money and this is not helping the likes of HMV who see themselves as some sort of premium retailer.

I will be VERY sad to see them go, but at the end of the day, this is THEIR doing.

 

 

Belfast City Centre does have a decent selection of music shops - HMV, Head Music (which is similar to Fopp, I guess), Dragon Records & two others (one of which specializes in Country & Western, oddly enough). It's reassuring that three of those have been going for less than two years, but it looks like Belfast is somewhat of an exception rather than a new standard.

 

 

When did Head re-open on Anne Street? Its a great store!! Where is Dragon Records?

When did Head re-open on Anne Street? Its a great store!! Where is Dragon Records?

 

I think Head's been re-open for about 4 months now. It's a great place, and one of the few shops where yo can buy a decent selection of local music.

 

Dragon Records is on Wellington Place, on the opposite side of the street to the Progressive Building Society building. It's not the easiest of record shops to find, as it's on the 2nd floor of a tattoo parlour. Their selection isn't too shabby.

It'd be sad to see HMV go - but they've long, long since been a record shop. In the Aberdeen branch, the music is tucked away upstairs, as far away from the entrance as possible while the whole ground floor is given over to nothing but new releases, games and gadgets. There's not a sniff of vinyl in the entire store - in fact, when I went to the flagship Oxford Street branch last year, their 7" section consisted of a handful of old discs in a brown box underneath the 'Metal' CDs. The only other records are major label re-releases of sure-fire sellers.

 

They've gone head to head completely with Amazon, who by not paying tax can undercut them at every corner. Just like Fopp, they expanded too far and really need to reel everything in and concentrate on being a great MUSIC retailer - by stocking everything they can, on multiple formats and catering to the needs of music fans.

 

The really sad thing is, Aberdeen's only other record shop - the infinitely superior One Up - looks set to close early next year, so HMV will be the only option left...and it won't come anywhere near.

It'd be sad to see HMV go - but they've long, long since been a record shop. In the Aberdeen branch, the music is tucked away upstairs, as far away from the entrance as possible while the whole ground floor is given over to nothing but new releases, games and gadgets. There's not a sniff of vinyl in the entire store - in fact, when I went to the flagship Oxford Street branch last year, their 7" section consisted of a handful of old discs in a brown box underneath the 'Metal' CDs. The only other records are major label re-releases of sure-fire sellers.

 

They've gone head to head completely with Amazon, who by not paying tax can undercut them at every corner. Just like Fopp, they expanded too far and really need to reel everything in and concentrate on being a great MUSIC retailer - by stocking everything they can, on multiple formats and catering to the needs of music fans.

 

The really sad thing is, Aberdeen's only other record shop - the infinitely superior One Up - looks set to close early next year, so HMV will be the only option left...and it won't come anywhere near.

 

I agree but the hmv in Belfast tries to combine the music section on the 2nd floor with cds, music memorablia and vinyl of the major releases together which imo is a good mix!

 

Your right about Amazon not paying tax - thats what people should be concentrating. I would even refuse to buy from Amazon!

Edited December 17, 201212 yr by steve201

It's no wonder that HMV are going down the drain.

 

I tried to buy the Justice Collective and the James Arthur singles in there earlier, but I looked anywhere and there was none to be found. I spent my time looking for albums instead and all of the good albums were £10. I had nine pounds and I thought that was too much for an album. Why can't the albums cost £7-£8 pounds, there are some chart albums that sell for less on iTunes.

 

Honestly.

It's no wonder that HMV are going down the drain.

 

I tried to buy the Justice Collective and the James Arthur singles in there earlier, but I looked anywhere and there was none to be found. I spent my time looking for albums instead and all of the good albums were £10. I had nine pounds and I thought that was too much for an album. Why can't the albums cost £7-£8 pounds, there are some chart albums that sell for less on iTunes.

 

Honestly.

 

Well of course they'll be less on iTunes, that doesn't have to account for the cost of packaging and all that.

Well of course they'll be less on iTunes, that doesn't have to account for the cost of packaging and all that.

 

Still. It's an absolute joke for the average person, no wonder album sales are down at the moment.

If HMV does go under, then I suspect what we'll see in future are record shops opening on short-term leases for a couple of months before Xmas, since that's the only time albums are really profitable.

Still. It's an absolute joke for the average person, no wonder album sales are down at the moment.

 

 

Surely albums are lower priced relatively now than they've virtually ever been?

They need to do something to match their competitors, 'That's Entertainment' offer the same stuff at a ridiculously low price. 3 CDs for a fiver and things like that.

 

Surely though they make enough money over Xmas to help sustain them?

I think Head's been re-open for about 4 months now. It's a great place, and one of the few shops where yo can buy a decent selection of local music.

 

Dragon Records is on Wellington Place, on the opposite side of the street to the Progressive Building Society building. It's not the easiest of record shops to find, as it's on the 2nd floor of a tattoo parlour. Their selection isn't too shabby.

 

 

I haven't heard of either of those. I must go back to Belfast soon.

Still. It's an absolute joke for the average person, no wonder album sales are down at the moment.

 

I genuinely don't think £10 is too much to spend on a new release. As has been pointed out, cds have actually decreased in price over the past 15 years, even with inflation.

 

And album sales are down due to illegal downoads.

Edited December 17, 201212 yr by iain

I genuinely don't think £10 is too much to spend on a new release. As has been pointed out, cds have actually decreased in price over the past 15 years, even with inflation.

 

So? They should be made lower. No one can afford them unless you've got loads of money to spend.

 

There are decent Christmas presents that cost less than £10, for crying out loud!

I genuinely don't think £10 is too much to spend on a new release. As has been pointed out, cds have actually decreased in price over the past 15 years, even with inflation.

 

And album sales are down due to illegal downoads.

Indeed so, albums were normally about £13-16 in the early/ mid 90s which taking into inflation would be over £20 in today's money (Christ now I feel old) :lol:

£10 is perfectly reasonable for a new album TBH. If you wait a couple of weeks they tend to end up in the 2 for £15 offer in HMV too.

So? They should be made lower. No one can afford them unless you've got loads of money to spend.

 

There are decent Christmas presents that cost less than £10, for crying out loud!

 

What other decent Christmas presents cost less than £10?