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[SueEllen]

Maybe they have a chance if they find a niche. Better service, more interaction etc.

Get a few gigs and signings there.

Obscure products are no longer a good niche, that's what eBay is for.

WVS

The local record shop were I live called in the administrators 7 years ago the guy who brought them out promoted gigs in 3 local venues and has band signings, and is going strong.

[Troll]

Not bothered since they decided to sell the racist "Anyone But England" T shirts in their Scottish & Welsh stores

[CheeseSlice]

This is so depressing.

Making way for even more 99p shops on the high street.

[barrydidit]

F**K 'em.

They spent years ripping off the consumer with their £17 CD's (circa 1995, central Leeds) and failed to adapt to competition. Good riddance, the kids today have got much greater access to content via online channels.

You can argue about how bland the mainstream stuff they're being fed is, but I reckon the online experience offers more chance for getting a musical education then was ever really available 20 years ago - a time when bus/train/gig money/beer money/getting your face kicked in was the price to be paid for looking out for new talent.

Essentially, they were market leaders and they've fluffed it. Tough tulip, I'm not bothered.

[NickFitz]

"Downloadable music is just a fad" - Steve Knott, MD of HMV, 2002: Philip Beeching: Why companies fail - the rise and fall of HMV

[AtW]

Been on the cards for a while has it not?

It was for Clintons...

[VectraMan]

This is so depressing.

Making way for even more 99p shops on the high street.

Round here nail salons have taken over the high street.

[eek]

Round here nail salons have taken over the high street.

lowest start up costs.

[The Spartan]

I have fond memories of HMV I always used to go in there as a kid and listen to the latest releases, I took my daughter in there Christmas eve and she fleeced me for a Little Mix CD lol. I'll miss the place but I do believe they could have better structured their online business to support their physical retail stores

[Bunk]

I no longer get daily emails offering discounts on prints, photo albums etc. Same old story, I can get the kit I want cheaper online than on the high street.

So a friend of mine who has a music shop started by his father who's seen all the bigger players fold will probably lock the doors this year as well.

Music shops have one saving grace, which is that people will usually want to play the instrument that they're going to buy, as opposed to checking it out in the shop then buying it cheaper online. Whether that's enough to keep them going I'm not sure