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Business News HMV Timeline Retail
HMV to return to mail-order
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 19 May 2015
HMV is set to return to the world of online CD selling according to the Telegraph, which is pretty much the PR office for the all-new HMV, so I’m assuming this is definitely happening.
While retail restructuring expert Hilco helped to keep HMV operational on the high street after the entertainment retailer crashed into administration in 2013, the new HMV company has never had a UK mail-order side to its business.
Rather, the HMV website has been more of a marketing channel with editorial content focused on the artists the retailer is championing in-store. A lacklustre 7digital-powered download store did follow in October 2013, and more recently the retailer launched HMV Tickets with Vivendi’s See Tickets, but to date, no mail-order set-up.
With Kantar Worldwide having recently confirmed HMV’s claims that it is now the biggest seller of physical music products in the UK once again – a title it lost to Amazon in the ‘gloom times’ – the retailer is seemingly ready to now take on the web giant anew on the latter’s home turf, ie online CD sales.
Pre-administration, HMV often struggled to compete with Amazon on price when it came to mail-order, despite basing its online operation on the Channel Islands to benefit from a since closed VAT loophole. It remains to be seen if the new HMV can replicate its various high street successes online.
