Album sales will fall, but HMV going won't kill them off, whatever the hysterical usual suspects say. We'll likely just see an increase in trade with Amazon (who doesn't have the Internet or access somehow these days?) or perhaps the take-off of album downloads as a format. Hell, we could even see Spotify subscriptions take off (which would make sense, given I reckon the reason for the fall of album sales is a mix of Spotify, cherry-picking and the recession).

 

 

Earlier in this thread, on in some other thread, it was mentioned by the poster who works in HMV that a lot of people dont have a clue about ordering stuff on line. It will take them time to adapt so there will almost certainly be a shortfall in sales in the short term.

I'm sure a decent number of sales in HMV shops were by people in there for one thing and then browsing the racks and picking up others. I know I often do (did?) that, and those sales will be lost.

Earlier in this thread, on in some other thread, it was mentioned by the poster who works in HMV that a lot of people dont have a clue about ordering stuff on line. It will take them time to adapt so there will almost certainly be a shortfall in sales in the short term.

I'd be shocked if there were that many people left who were determined to buy something who would be unable to figure out Amazon/iTunes. There'll doubtless be a fall in the short term by virtue of there being one less retailer if HMV falls, but I reckon the hole will be quickly filled in the medium-term.

I'm sure a decent number of sales in HMV shops were by people in there for one thing and then browsing the racks and picking up others. I know I often do (did?) that, and those sales will be lost.

Perhaps a while ago, but certainly nowhere near as much as it used to be.

^^That's as I said earlier is the biggest short term threat to the music industry - So many people come in and browse and end up spotting an album they want - HMV generates a lot of impulse sales and back catalogue sales are so important to the industry as they essentially fund investment in new artists.

 

I can see the likes of Andre Rieu, Alfie Boe, Eva Cassidy etc, struggling - Their fanbases are generally older and have no access to the Internet or even if they do they have no desire to download an album - None of the above even reached the iTunes Top 20 but all have sold in excess of 250,000+ over Christmas and these are the kind of sale that could potentially be lost unless the supermarkets get their act together and really start stocking all the new releases in all of their stores.

 

So far today at work about 10 customers have been removed by security from the store due to being abusive over gift cards etc, god knows what the next few days will be like! :drama:

I'm soooo bored of this argument (Thank you Big Mistake, your fault). Record labels burnt this into the brain of people.... Not just piracy is guilty but also digital sales and digital stores.

 

Very intresting poll on UK Mix: What's your primary source of music ?

 

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=95452

 

Yes, it's only 36 peoples, but ..

 

Physical (CD, LP) - 44 % (16 votes)

Free download - 41 % (15 votes)

Streaming online (Spotify, YouTube, Last.fm) - 13 % (5 votes)

Payed download (iTunes, Amazon) - 0 % (0 votes) :D

It's total bollocks though to act like that's representative of anything. You've got a tiny subset of loons there answering when we know ourselves what market shares are (with the exception of illegal downloads, of course...)

Nobody is going to invest in a business that is selling a product that is guaranteed to decline in sales year after year. There is no way back for physical formats. The sales are going to keep going down and down.

 

Physical sales overall will keep falling, but that doesn't (necessarily) mean HMV's sales have to keep falling year after year. Remember that the main factor in HMV's collapse ISN'T just that physical sales have fallen, it's that supermarkets have taken loads of HMV's old customers because they've been selling CDs at lower prices. If HMV still had as big a % market share of the physical album sales market as they used to, they probably would've survived.

Are the days of cheap new releases from supermarkets over? My local Tesco has the top 10 at £10, which is generally more expensive than HMV

Maybe random thought, but why videogames sold millions copies with VERY HIGH prices and CDs can't.

Videogames prices : 40-50 Euro

CD prices: 10-15 Euro

 

I'm not rich, even not the middle class, but I think, that CD prices are OK.

I popped in my HMV, they accepted the gift vouchers no problem there, its probably up to the manager's descretion, lots of people in store you couldn't hardly move. I reckon all the best and chart CDs would have gone though.

An interesting article in the Guardian from someone who worked in HMV for 25 years

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/20...P=ILCNETTXT3487

Edited January 15, 201312 yr by iain

went today, they had posters on each window saying they were unable to except gift cards or issue refunds

Very odd that the HMV website has no mention of the administration - Makes me think that this might still continue to trade? The statement said most of the company and assets would be placed into administration - HMV.com has always operated separately from the retail stores in that items bought online can't be returned to store, gift cards bought in store can't be used online etc, so its possible they might keep the website trading and just put the stores into administration which would lead nicely to a management buy out minus the debt and 100+ under performing stores...

 

With the website still trading and still no mention of the administration and HMV confirming they will fulfil web orders makes me even more certain the company will be 'saved' and dump all the loss making stores and debt and return with 50 stores and the website intact.

With the website still trading and still no mention of the administration and HMV confirming they will fulfil web orders makes me even more certain the company will be 'saved' and dump all the loss making stores and debt and return with 50 stores and the website intact.

 

 

Those 50 stores won't survive, unless the store is on your doorstep, you are not going to get the Joe Public to travel 15 miles to the nearest store, they rather go online.

 

P.S. Just heard on BBC News 239 stores are in trouble.

went today, they had posters on each window saying they were unable to except gift cards or issue refunds

The Dundee store had absolutely no mention what-so-ever of administration, gift cards being refused or refunds. I'm about 99% sure the returns policy was still showing behind the tills too.

 

 

With the website still trading and still no mention of the administration and HMV confirming they will fulfil web orders makes me even more certain the company will be 'saved' and dump all the loss making stores and debt and return with 50 stores and the website intact.

Completely agreed. I see HMV as being in exactly the same boat as Game. A business that is perfectly salvageable but has struggled to offload stores and debt. A clean slate would help them refocus and remain an essential presence in the UK High street.

 

The website is also a decade overdue a revamp...

Maybe the central London stores will remain open? I imagine the Oxford street store attracts considerable tourist trade.

Those 50 stores won't survive, unless the store is on your doorstep, you are not going to get the Joe Public to travel 15 miles to the nearest store, they rather go online.

 

P.S. Just heard on BBC News 239 stores are in trouble.

They have 239 stores in total. When a firm goes into administration the press ALWAYS reports that "X stores are in trouble" because nobody is sitting at head office on the phone to the press saying "Well....we have 471 stores, but our 3 manchester locations are safe, that one in inverness is too. That one in Leeds is fucked though...". No one knows how many stores will be saved until the company comes out of administration. Until then every store is at risk because there is always a risk that, like in the case of Comet and Jessops very recently, no buyer can be found.

RIP sanity. When will your funeral take place? :wacko:

 

I'm soooo bored of this argument (Thank you Big Mistake, your fault). Record labels burnt this into the brain of people.... Not just piracy is guilty but also digital sales and digital stores.

 

BTW you can burn CDs and there you go a physical format :P

 

My physical format is my phone. It's full of music and a lot more than what a CD can store. And I bought the majority of those songs.

 

BTW I buy sometimes CDs, it's nice to look at, nice to have but I only use it once (!), I copy the songs to my computer and will never ever use the CD itself. It is just a nice decoration on my shelf. :lol:

 

Of course I can understand why some people like a physical album, but please don't exaggerate, it's hilarious.

 

OK I promise I stop piracy if you stop talking! So much nonsense... RIP sanity again (although for a long time here)

 

What a nice idea! I've never known that, although I don't buy vinyl.

 

Ben, you've taken the words right out of my mouth! :lol:

 

I'm sorry but Big Mistake and AlexRange are beyond pathetic and stupid. Do you two even realise why people prefer online piracy to legal downloading?!

 

And you've basically undermined everyone who uses the digital format to buy their music. Well done!

 

:rolleyes:

Edited January 15, 201312 yr by Grief

Are people really saying now that no-one buy physical albums is because of the price of them in the UK?! £10 for an average new CD isn't even expensive!

 

As for HMV, they better accept my pure HMV credit as I just exchanged £45 worth of them yesterday!

Edited January 15, 201312 yr by Furisodation