After a four-year absence, hmv returns to 363 Oxford Street on 24 November 2023 – home of the very first hmv store which opened in 1921.
The new flagship store – which will create over 70 new jobs – is aiming to become a ‘hub of entertainment’ in the capital and the largest entertainment outlet in London, offering an ‘unparalleled’ range of music, film, merchandise and technology products, as well as performance spaces.
Over the decades hmv Oxford Street became renowned as a community hub for music fans with performances and signings from global artists such as The Weeknd, Kylie Minogue, The Spice Girls, Blur and more, with the latter performing an iconic rooftop gig at the shop in 1995. With a purpose-built performance floor in-store, the new shop is expected to draw performances and signings from similarly renowned artists.
The store is also set to become a destination for pop culture in the capital and will stock over 4,000 popular culture merchandise lines, as well as over 20,000 vinyl albums and CDs, over 8,000 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD, plus a wide range of music technology products.
Grass roots local bands and artists will also have the opportunity to share the stage graced by global superstars.
The opening of the Oxford Street location represents another sign of a dramatic turnaround of the hmv business under Canadian owner Doug Putman, who first took the reins in 2019. Under his tenure, the business has evolved its concept to centre on a fan and community-orientated offer.
“Our new hmv shop concept and fan-focused offer is really working for us, with hmv once again becoming a mainstay on the UK high street,” commented Doug Putman, owner of hmv and Fopp. “The return to Oxford Street and re-opening of our flagship is a culmination of the team’s hard work over the past four years and as a business we see it as the launchpad for an exciting new era for hmv.
“We want our new Oxford Street shop to become a home for like-minded pop culture fans and music lovers to come together under one roof, as it memorably has been in the past for so many people. We can’t wait to open our doors on the 24th with a host of exciting entertainment planned for our customers.”
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