HMV is making a major return to the British high street, with a series of store reopenings and new locations planned across the UK, Ireland and Europe. The entertainment retailer, once a dominant name in music and film sales, is expanding again after years of decline and two collapses into administration.
HMV first entered administration in January 2013, closing dozens of stores before being rescued by restructuring firm Hilco UK. It faced further difficulties in December 2018 amid falling CD and DVD sales, before being bought out of administration by Sunrise Records in early 2019.
Under new ownership, the company has staged a gradual recovery. It opened a flagship store in Birmingham's Bullring in 2019 and returned to London's Oxford Street in 2023 after a four-year absence. New stores in Canterbury, Solihull and Belfast have since followed.
According to Retail Week, HMV is now preparing for a new wave of expansion, including upcoming openings in Peterborough, Cork and The Hague.
The Peterborough store will be located in Queensgate Shopping Centre, while Cork's outlet will open at Merchants Quay Shopping Centre, becoming the retailer's third store in Ireland.
HMV Managing Director Phil Halliday said: "We're constantly striving to create new homes for communities of fans to come together and share their love of music and popular culture. After five years of working on a deal, we're thrilled to finally open a new store in Peterborough and meet the strong public demand."
Chief executive Doug Putman said further openings in Ireland and mainland Europe are being considered "where it currently makes the most sense from a business point of view."
The retailer said the new stores will create hundreds of jobs and boost footfall in local town centres.
Confirmed and Returning HMV Stores:England
Birmingham Bullring
Manchester Trafford Centre
Liverpool One
Leeds White Rose
Milton Keynes
Sheffield Meadowhall
Newcastle upon Tyne
Nottingham
Bristol
Southampton
Peterborough (opening soon)
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Cardiff
Glasgow Braehead
Edinburgh Ocean Terminal
Belfast
Ireland and Europe
Dublin
Galway
Cork (opening soon)
The Hague, Netherlands (opening soon)
