HMV has seen re-opening footfall more than double this week versus the exit from the first lockdown on June 15 last year.
According to the entertainment retailer, footfall on April 12 and April 13, 2021 was up by 150% in comparison to the first two days after non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen in 2020.
All 93 HMV stores in England and Wales reopened on Monday, with strong sales being fuelled by fans buying the latest latest vinyl releases. Lana Del Rey’s Chemtrails Over The Country Club and Ariana Grande’s Positions proved the most popular on vinyl. Chemtrails Over The Country Club has already broken vinyl records.
Other popular titles included Wonder Woman 1984 in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and the latest season of A Discovery Of Witches.
Doug Putman, owner of HMV, said: “This week proved that for millions of people across the UK, online shopping will never fully replace the experience of going into stores and browsing.
“This was by far our strongest post-lockdown return, and it signals not only that the British public feels confident in the Covid-secure measures that retailers including HMV have put in place, but also that people are excited to get out and see what the High Street has to offer.”
This week proved that online shopping will never fully replace the experience of going into stores and browsing
Doug Putman
Putman added: “We’ve been delighted to see so many of our loyal customers returning, alongside shoppers who are just beginning their vinyl collection and more casual browsers on the lookout for our increasingly popular franchise merchandise.
“This year marks HMV’s 100th birthday, and we’re expecting our strong start to continue in what will be a banner year for this iconic retailer.”
HMV and Fopp stores re-opened with a series of measures to both personalise the shopping experience and ensure stores are Covid-secure for customers.
The HMV List and Leave service enables customers to drop off a list of purchases. A member of the HMV team will select the items from the shelves and have goods collected, packed and ready for collection.
Customers can also call their local store to reserve in-stock items to be paid for and picked up later that day. The HMV and Fopp team members will also suggest recommendations based on customers’ tastes.
The retailer already offers a click and collect service across all of its stores for those who want to select and pay for their items online and pick up at their local store. Customers can pay online, select a store to collect from and will receive an email when their goods are ready for collection.
HMV and Fopp stores across Scotland and Northern Ireland will reopen in line with their respective governments’ roadmaps.
Click here to read ERA CEO Kim Bayley on the return of record shops.
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