It looks like 66 HMV stores are to close, with staff apparently being told this morning whether or not they’re affected by the problems the high street chain has had of late.
An official announcement is expected later today, but TheSixthAxis has seen a list – unverified as now – and the Oxford Street branch appears to be one of those affected. In Scotland five branches are closing in Edinburgh and three in Glasgow, if the list is accurate.
Deloitte, HMV‘s administrators, were expected to close branches across the UK in order to make a potential buyout more appealing. Hilco are still the main interested party.
Closures are expected to be within four to six weeks. Whilst 66 stores obviously affects a huge number of employees (and customers) it’s not as high as previously assumed.
Our thoughts go out to those hearing bad news this morning.
Update: HMV have confirmed the list:
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ballymena
Barnsley
Bayswater
Belfast Boucher Road
Belfast Forestside, Bexleyheath
Birkenhead
Birmingham Fort
Blackburn, Boston
Bournemouth Castlepoint
Bracknell
Burton-upon-Trent
Camberley
Chesterfield
Coleraine
Craigavon
Croydon Centrale
Derry
Dumfries, Durham
Edinburgh Fort
Edinburgh Gyle Centre
Edinburgh Ocean
Edinburgh Princes Street
Edinburgh St James
Falkirk, Fulham
Glasgow Fort
Glasgow Silverburn
Glasgow Braehead
Huddersfield
Kirkcaldy
Leamington Spa
Leeds White Rose
Lisburn
Loughborough,
Luton
Manchester 90
Moorgate
Newry
Newtonabbey
Orpington
Rochdale
Scunthorpe
South Shields
Speke Park
St Albans
St Helens
Stockton-on-Tees
Tamworth
Teesside
Telford
Trocadero
Wakefield
Walsall
Walton-on-Thames
Wandsworth
Warrington
Watford
Wellingborough
Wigan
Wood Green
Workington
Wrexham
YOURMUMANDME
Dundeeeeeeeee……….NOOOOOO!!!!
Takyu
My local HMV in the Isle of Man seems to have survived, but Edinburgh where I’m living at the moment has been hit hard!
Jas-n
Seems I have a job to do then if HMV are still surviving.
It may require spending money though.
Foxhound_Solid
Wow. Closures around Bradford, but not Bradford??
Dom El
Very glad for my friends that work at the Lancaster branch, though as with other closures it’s not necessarily the end of their problems :/
Ryrunii
A shame the one in Falkirk is getting the boot. It was the last place in town to sell anime dvds and obscure games. The shopping centre is getting emptier and emptier. I feel so sorry for everyone who is losing their job as well.
DuffyBox
Sorry to see it go, they often had some decent deals on. At least we still have Game.
Forrest_01
Bristol not on the list?
Surprising, but somewhat pleasing to be fair. :)
An-dz
Out of the 3 being closed in Glasgow, they are not closing the 2 that are less than 5 mins walk from each other, but are closing the ones that are half an hour in a car from another one…
Colinbarr66
Falkirk is away then. Only game retailer left in the high street here is Game now, supermarkets dotted around are the only other alternatives.
Shame as there is nowhere else to browse that range of CDs and DVDs.
Sad Panda
Pleased to see the Sunderland store not on that list, the staff there are knowledgable and really good with the customers. I had a hypo in there before Christmas and the staff were great with me.
BlindMonkey
Came here expecting to see my local HMV on the list, but Yeovil is NOT on there :)