If you’ve heard the news today about HMV and have been wondering whether the closure of 60 chains across the UK will affect the Isle of Wight branch, don’t worry.
We’ve been in touch with HMV and they were pleased to tell us that both Waterstone’s (who are owned by the same group) and HMV are safe from closure.
A spokesperson from the company said,
“We are actually talking about a relatively small number of stores across HMV and Waterstone’s chains – less than 10% of our combined estates, which are likely to be located primarily in large-city conurbations and may be in close proximity to each other – thus resulting in a degree of duplication in relation to local demand, which is not the case with the Isle of Wight.
“The vast majority of HMV stores around the country will not be affected, and we will look to ensure that the specialist offer and service that we make available to our customers in these locations is maintained. Likewise, we will look to redeploy any affected staff where we possibly can. This move in no way signals any intention to pull out of entertainment retail, which remains at the heart of our offer, and is ultimately aimed at safeguarding our core business as we continue our transformation into a broad-based entertainment brand that now also encompasses live music venues and festivals.”
Big sigh of relief for all those working at the two branches.
