HMV is to open its first store in the Republic of Ireland since the shuttering of the chain there seven years ago.
The retailer will return to Henry Street in Dublin by mid-July 2023. It marks the opening of its first flagship outside the UK - and further Irish stores are on the cards.
It follows the announcement that HMV is returning to London’s Oxford Street with a flagship store in the UK capital.
Although it has 120 shops across the UK at present, including Belfast, this is the first foray into Ireland for HMV under its new owners, Doug Putman’s Sunrise Records. HMV has also unveiled a new store concept across its retail sites.
The 6,000 square foot space at 18 Henry Street will play host to three floors of the latest pop culture merchandise and become a destination for consumers of music and music technology. It will also offer performance spaces to create the city’s latest live music venue, hosting shows and signings from domestic and global artists.
Under its previous owners, HMV was forced to finally shutter its last stores in the Republic Of Ireland in 2016.
Our return to Ireland marks the culmination of the team’s hard work having established a new HMV shopping experience across the UK
Doug Putman
Doug Putman said: “Our return to Ireland marks the culmination of the team’s hard work having established a new HMV shopping experience across the UK. We are now in a position to expand that concept into Europe.
“While fans will be able to get their hands on the latest and limited release vinyl and the hottest audio technology, truly indulging their love of music, they will also be able to express their passion for pop culture with ranges that can’t be found anywhere else in Dublin under one roof.
“We want Henry Street to become a home for a new community of fans to come together. What’s more, we hope that once we’ve got our feet back under the table in Ireland, further HMV shop openings will follow.”
Sarah Coyle, of Irish Life investment managers, said: “We are delighted to partner with HMV on the opening of their new store and would like to welcome them back to Ireland. We are seeing very strong demand from tenants looking to locate in premier retail locations like 18 Henry Street, with footfall having bounced back strongly to pre-pandemic levels.”
HMV Dublin will offer fans a choice of over 15,000 different products and will include over 5,000 different vinyl albums and 5,500 CDs. The shop will also stock over 3,000 pop culture products and 1,000 different t-shirt designs.