Good news for us up north, the Metro Centre is stopping open although since it reopened a while ago it has moved into a much smaller store. I felt it was a lot better in the old premises at the Red Mall, a huge choice of everything, but maybe that was its downfall, too big a store with huge rates.
Rather sadly the original store in Oxford Street central London, which was opened by Sir Edward Elgar, is going or possibly is already closed down. I'll soon see when I drive through there on my travels, more job losses. But at least its been saved and let's hope this time it will be for a very long time.
In a statement I read they were going to increase vinyl...that can only be a good thing for us vinyl lovers, my local has made it through.i do hope the online store makes it..guess someone will crunch the numbers, and see if it is worthwhile, I hope pure hmv points continues though
We suffered up here quite badly six years ago. We lost stores in Stockton, Durham and Teesside Park. I'm pleased we aren't losing any more. What remains are all pretty good stores. As you say, the MetroCentre one is tiny now. But packed to the gills.
But we need a Fopp. Well, I'd really like one
And South Shields. I haven't been to the Metro Centre in years. I had no idea they'd downsized. The London store wasn't exactly huge the last time I was down there. I remember being it pretty damn big at one point and there was a huge Virgin store not too far away. Not forgetting Tower as well. We'll never see those days again.
Bri
Good point, I forgot about the South Shields one. I got one of the League of Gentlemen BD sets in there.
MetroCentre one is still pretty good. A lot smaller than the old, huge, store. They have managed to cram everything in there. It is a lot smaller though.
I really don't like the Newcastle one. The staff are good, but the layout makes little sense and everything on the shelves is nearly always beat up.
The old HMV on Oxford Street was huge, it was amazing to go in and have a look around. Likewise the old Virgin, and Tower (ouch, those prices). The one that just closed (the 'original' HMV) I never liked, far too cramped and it felt like a junk shop. Crap piled up everywhere.
How they couldn't turn a profit and the Boots next door (which is considerably bigger) can is beyond me.
The one in Oxford Street (was in Oxford Street ) moved to the opposite side of the road some years ago from their original site. Then they moved back again and the layout was changed to make it seem smaller. But an extra floor was used so it might be that the cubic footage could have been the same but just looked smaller. Either way it isn't there anymore so it's all academic.
You may well be right but I agree with @Se7en. It seemed very cramped. Didn't they have a really big store on the same side of the road but nearer to Marble Arch at one point?
Bri
Not on the same side from what I can remember. If you stand outside the original store site facing the other side of the road the second move was to one's left not that much further along. Now that would be (slightly) nearer to Marble Arch and it's possible that's what you meant by being "nearer to Marble Arch". That may well have been a bigger store until they moved back again and I remember going in there on occasions.
I'm going back quite a long time. I can definitely remember being in there in 1986. Bri
I'm going back quite a long time. I can definitely remember being in there in 1986.
Bri