Play.com is no longer selling items and is instead becoming a market place for others to sell through it. The VAT loophole has been closed making Amazon and Game closer in price than they have been previously. The console games market is still huge as so very few people download them. I imagine less so after the Sony incident.

 

I think there is a place for both Game and HMV provided they are responsibly managed.

The HMV On-Line Site has closed.

 

Or been 'suspended', as they put it:,

 

Link:,

 

http://hmv.com/hmv/site_down_1a.jpg

Edited January 20, 201312 yr by zeus555

It has been since Tuesday

 

The website has been suspended with a notice of administration posted on the site :-(

 

Sorry if it's been posted, but "Save HMV" facebook group have posted this NME link...

 

Major record labels assemble rescue package for struggling HMV

Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony cut the price of CDs and DVDs

 

A consortium of major music labels and film studios are reportedly assembling a rescue package to save HMV from going out of business.

 

According to The Sunday Times, Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony are set to cut the price of CDs and DVDs, and give the failing retailer generous credit terms, to help it get back on its feet after falling into administration.

 

Universal Studios and Warner Studios are also reported to be behind the deal to prevent the company from going under. Industry sources claim the industry goliaths are desperate to keep a specialist high street outlet, such as HMV, to prevent cut-throat pricing from supermarkets and online stores.

 

A source told the newspaper: They don’t want their only choice to be Tesco or Amazon

On Friday (January 18), it was reported that video games retailer Game had expressed an interest in buying HMV. Deloitte, who were called in to administrate the collapsed retailer on Tuesday (January 15) putting 4,000 jobs at risk, says it has received over 50 expressions of interest in HMV. These include a "broad range" of parties including wealthy individuals, private equity groups and Game – which is targeting as many as 50 shops.

 

According to The Sunday Times report, the music and film industry consortium are believed to be favouring a bid by Hilco, an investor that specialises in struggling consumer businesses.

http://www.nme.com/news/hmv/68267

The record labels finally woke up from their coma... I hope their efforts are fruitful and that HMV survives... The UK government should also wake up and help the UK entertainment industry and agree on some laws which exempts HMV from paying high taxes in order to help the entertainment industry, which is one of Britain's biggest exports....

Edited January 20, 201312 yr by Big Mistake

The record labels finally woke up from their coma... I hope their efforts are fruitful and that HMV survives... The UK government should also wake up and help the UK entertainment industry and agree on some laws which exempts HMV from paying high taxes in order to help the entertainment industry, which is one of Britain's biggest exports....

Just when I thought this had thread had settled :D

 

This is NOT the answer, protectionism and tax fixing is not the answer (and too much of it going on anyway). We need to accept that people voted with their feet, HMV simply charged too much for their goods and diversified too much away from what it was for its old customers (me included) and didn't attract the new buyers it had hoped to, hence it folded. It was simply badly managed, if there had been a GENUINE amount desire and need for what it was selling then it would have survived, nothing to do with tax. Yes the stores have higher overheads than online but that's the price you pay for having a physical store. To do as you suggest would be just like to trying to hold back the tide, then the government would have to do it for other stores etc until eventually no business with a shop was paying taxes then we'd all have to pay more and hence less money to spend on CD'S etc.

 

There is currently a demand for physical but Amazon etc will cater for this- the horse has already bolted my friend. :(

Just when I thought this had thread had settled :D

 

This is NOT the answer, protectionism and tax fixing is not the answer (and too much of it going on anyway). We need to accept that people voted with their feet, HMV simply charged too much for their goods and diversified too much away from what it was for its old customers (me included) and didn't attract the new buyers it had hoped to, hence it folded. It was simply badly managed, if there had been a GENUINE amount desire and need for what it was selling then it would have survived, nothing to do with tax. Yes the stores have higher overheads than online but that's the price you pay for having a physical store. To do as you suggest would be just like to trying to hold back the tide, then the government would have to do it for other stores etc until eventually no business with a shop was paying taxes then we'd all have to pay more and hence less money to spend on CD'S etc.

 

There is currently a demand for physical but Amazon etc will cater for this- the horse has already bolted my friend. :(

Precisely this. As much as I love HMV they threw away the chance to evolve and Amazon stole their market. While I'm often in favour of protectionism here's no point propping up a business that doesn't have a firm niche or a loyal market.

 

I don't quite understand how the death of HMV would have such a devastating effect on the UK's entertainment industry, either.

I just want HMV to stay as I like to browse in their shops and I like collecting my CD/DVD physically from there. I have no idea why I feel like I have to (even if it's pricier). I just like browsing and getting what I want and going to the counter to purchase whatever it is I want to purchase. I know there's Tesco/other supermarkets etc... that sell DVD's and CD's but they don't have the collection that HMV does and there have been countless times where I've actually come out with something extra from HMv either because I've wanted it for ages and not seen it to purchase it elsewhere or whether it's just coz it's a part of their deals or cheap enough.

Just when I thought this had thread had settled :D

 

This is NOT the answer, protectionism and tax fixing is not the answer (and too much of it going on anyway). We need to accept that people voted with their feet, HMV simply charged too much for their goods and diversified too much away from what it was for its old customers (me included) and didn't attract the new buyers it had hoped to, hence it folded. It was simply badly managed, if there had been a GENUINE amount desire and need for what it was selling then it would have survived, nothing to do with tax. Yes the stores have higher overheads than online but that's the price you pay for having a physical store. To do as you suggest would be just like to trying to hold back the tide, then the government would have to do it for other stores etc until eventually no business with a shop was paying taxes then we'd all have to pay more and hence less money to spend on CD'S etc.

 

There is currently a demand for physical but Amazon etc will cater for this- the horse has already bolted my friend. :(

 

But did u ask yourself why did they charge that much?? Isn't it because they need to pay loads of wages and maintain 250 stores across the country while Amazon doesn't need to!!

You're also saying the government shouldn't lower the taxes for the entertainment industry forgetting that it's one of the UK's main exports and that the UK is one of the leading cultural countries in the world....

But did u ask yourself why did they charge that much?? Isn't it because they need to pay loads of wages and maintain 250 stores across the country while Amazon doesn't need to!!

You're also saying the government shouldn't lower the taxes for the entertainment industry forgetting that it's one of the UK's main exports and that the UK is one of the leading cultural countries in the world....

 

Problem is HMV just didn't evolve, or at least not quickly enough. They were very late in the game for online shopping and really should have had downloads available from the website years ago. I'm also very sad that the stores will more than likely close but at the end of the day, life will go one and as Gezza pointed out physical albums will still be around for years to come.

Precisely this. As much as I love HMV they threw away the chance to evolve and Amazon stole their market. While I'm often in favour of protectionism here's no point propping up a business that doesn't have a firm niche or a loyal market.

 

I don't quite understand how the death of HMV would have such a devastating effect on the UK's entertainment industry, either.

 

It would because there are millions of tourists who flood to the UK each year and a large proportion of them including me and a lot of my friends go to HMV to buy the Cd's and DVD's which are not available physically in my country.... And I'm sure there is a large percentage of sales that comes from tourists...so I don't think amazon can fill that gap....

 

And contrary to what you're saying HMV does have a very large market, they have 28% of the market share which is definitely NOT a niche market for sure....

Edited January 20, 201312 yr by Big Mistake

They would because there are millions of tourists who flood to the UK each year and a large proportion of them including me and a lot of my friends go to HMV to buy the Cd's and DVD's which are not available physically in my country.... And I'm sure there is a large percentage of sales that comes from tourists...so I don't think amazon can fill that gap....

There are many many more deserving businesses that should have tax breaks (or even pay it in some cases). Everytime you post this several posters try and reason with you on it, but you just ignore their side of it. Perhaps you should just drop it?

I went into HMV two times this weekend and there were no hint that it was closing down apart from the amount of people and the sale. So that might keep HMV going for another month until they really land into big trouble.

But did u ask yourself why did they charge that much?? Isn't it because they need to pay loads of wages and maintain 250 stores across the country while Amazon doesn't need to!!

You're also saying the government shouldn't lower the taxes for the entertainment industry forgetting that it's one of the UK's main exports and that the UK is one of the leading cultural countries in the world....

They diversified because Physical sales of singles and in the end Album sales as well, trailed off so they couldn't rely on them anymore. Online retailers will have staff to pay as well and warehouse costs to store their product though these won't be as high as a high street shop I grant you.

 

Music will continue to be made in the UK and exported to the world and sold in whatever form the public wishes it too, we're talking about the medium music is sold in not the music itself. Business stands or falls on what the market dictates and HMV simply didn't offer what the public wanted at the right price otherwise it would have survived. I don't quite understand how you don't seem to grasp this, you can't MAKE something sell to the public they don't want to buy. I understand you prefer the physical format but unfortunately the public don't like it enough to sustain a high street chain selling it, so one by one they folded.

 

There are plenty of examples to back this up, Tower, Woolworths, Zavvi etc.

For me the problem with HMV is that they diversified into too many things! There's another shop in Belfast - Head - which does quite well and it concentrates on physical music (CD AND vinyl) and "video" (DVD and Blu Ray) with a small range of accessories. HMV went into everything - games, ipod accessories, books, posters, magazines, chocolate bars, cans of coke....

For me the problem with HMV is that they diversified into too many things! There's another shop in Belfast - Head - which does quite well and it concentrates on physical music (CD AND vinyl) and "video" (DVD and Blu Ray) with a small range of accessories. HMV went into everything - games, ipod accessories, books, posters, magazines, chocolate bars, cans of coke....

We have a Head here in Bristol which is just like the old Virgin Megastores.

There are many many more deserving businesses that should have tax breaks (or even pay it in some cases). Everytime you post this several posters try and reason with you on it, but you just ignore their side of it. Perhaps you should just drop it?

 

Which businesses should have tax breaks then ???

Edited January 20, 201312 yr by Big Mistake

It would because there are millions of tourists who flood to the UK each year and a large proportion of them including me and a lot of my friends go to HMV to buy the Cd's and DVD's which are not available physically in my country.... And I'm sure there is a large percentage of sales that comes from tourists...so I don't think amazon can fill that gap....

 

And contrary to what you're saying HMV does have a very large market, they have 28% of the market share which is definitely NOT a niche market for sure....

A niche as in a specialism with people committed to keeping it alive, which HMV clearly doesn't have.

 

And I'm pretty sure you're one of a minority who do that, the rest are busy going on the London Eye. The clue is in the fact that 95% of the UK Chart Forum is British.

The clue is in the fact that 95% of the UK Chart Forum is British.

 

That hardly proves that tourists in the UK aren't interested in buying CDs in shops....

A niche as in a specialism with people committed to keeping it alive, which HMV clearly doesn't have.

 

And I'm pretty sure you're one of a minority who do that, the rest are busy going on the London Eye. The clue is in the fact that 95% of the UK Chart Forum is British.

 

Not everyone goes to London to see the London Eye, a lot of people go for shopping including music and DVD shopping.. The last time I was in London last September, I went to 3 HMV stores and a lot of the customers there were tourists...