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
Tanzil
Good thing donny isn’t on there. It’s somewhere I actually shop at.