UK retailer HMV confirms it's going into administration

[McHaggis]

"The board regrets to announce that it has been unable to reach a position where it feels able to continue to trade outside of insolvency protection," the company said in a statement on Monday evening.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/14/uk-hmv-idUKBRE90D12W20130114

Can't say I didn't see it coming, I don't think I've ever seen a good deal in HMV and consumers are much smarter these days. I haven't bought a blu-ray or game from HMV for two years when, on the day of a "buy one, get one free" sale on most of their blu-rays, some lazy store assistant had updated all the prices but forgotten to take the old ones off. Would you believe it, they'd all doubled in price on the same day the offer started.

 

[Black-Ice]

Fuck, I liked HMV man.
I need to run to their stores and buy everything on stupid-sale, now.

 

[pyromaniac123]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21021073 < this covers it a bit more.

 

[DSGamer64]

I don't like HMV, I hope they go out of business on this side of the pond. Honestly, these days their CD prices for the most part are closer to being competitive with digital downloads, but the difference on average is about 5 bucks more for a CD. Music by older artists is horribly bloated though, a lot of good classic rock albums are way overpriced and anything that is harder to come by is even worse.

 

[FAST6191]

If I said it came as a shock it is only because I tend not to pay attention to the fate of high street stores (DSG group (Dixons, Currys, PC world...) and prone to humour things like Best Buy's attempt to set up in the UK aside of course). They did better than a lot of shops as far as getting a selection in and their comedy offerings (as in stand up comic arena tour things) for all the ones I ever went in were top flight. That said I can not remember the last time I even considered busting my wallet out in such a place and supermarkets do for most of what I ever would have got from there.

Should they do a sale I might have to wander down though as they have some interesting computer game devices on occasion and did a fair line in basic android tablets.

 

[SifJar]

That's a bit of a shame I suppose, I have bought things there a couple of times. Come to think of it, I still have a gift card with a few quid on it, guess that's useless now As others have said though, haven't bought much there for a long time. Prices just don't compete with online.

 

[emigre]

It was always going to happen. HMV shares have been declining badly in recent years, it was obvious HMV would end up in this position particularly as they didn't alter their business model. Particularly as online and supermarkets are able to offer better deals.

 

[Hadrian]

They used to be good to go to...in the 90's, now they're awful. Overpriced even on sales.

 

[FAST6191]

By most accounts aren't their sales the same as the price before the sales but now with the added perk of displaying the "RRP" more prominently?

 

[McHaggis]

They used to be good to go to...in the 90's, now they're awful. Overpriced even on sales.

Yeah, it was nice when they offered 10% student discount... and I was a student.

 

[jalaneme]

it's such a shame to see them go, it's one less place to buy computer games and blu rays from soon it will only be online shopping, all the high street's shops will be gone.

 

[FAST6191]

I very much doubt supermarkets are going away any time soon and some of them are getting pretty good (getting people with a clue on the various desks) and even doing a bit of second hand trading.

As for the high street kicking the bucket... couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

 

[SifJar]

Yeah, it was nice when they offered 10% student discount... and I was a student.

They offered 10% student discount? I never knew about that...

 

[McHaggis]

They offered 10% student discount? I never knew about that...

It might have been stopped for a while, I haven't been a student for several years You had to be an NUS member, it was the only reason I ever signed up to NUS.

 

[FAST6191]

You mean there once was a tangible benefit to joining the NUS? Wonders never cease it seems.

 

[SifJar]

You mean there once was a tangible benefit to joining the NUS? Wonders never cease it seems.

Nowadays you can get cheaper Spotify Premium (half price I think) and...well, that's all I know about. Maybe there is some other benefit. I guess if you use Spotify Premium it'd be worth it, but I'm fine with the free service.

It might have been stopped for a while, I haven't been a student for several years You had to be an NUS member, it was the only reason I ever signed up to NUS.

I've never bothered to ask. Come to think of it, not sure I've bought anything there since I got a student card anyway. Anyway, I'm not a NUS member, so wouldn't have mattered.