HMV Face The Music

Another new year, another major UK music retailer is facing hard times. Two years ago the shops formerly known as Virgin Megastores, repackaged as Zavvi closed in Belfast and across the UK. This was the same time as Woolworths shut up shop, and things looked bleak for the UK music sector on the high street. At the time, HMV purchased some of the Zavvi stores, including Abbeycentre and (possibly) the Victoria Square shop, and HMV was (in Belfast anyway), the only major music retailer.

Almost exactly two years later, and now HMV are reporting problems, with plans to close 40 HMV stores and 20 Waterstones branches this year. While they haven't announced which shops will close, it's fairly likely some of these will be in Northern Ireland, which raises the question of where we'll be able to actually go and buy a CD in and around Belfast in the next year.

It seems that Apple downloads and Amazon mp3s and online shopping is bringing about a big change in the music market. Rather than having to go into town to actually buy a cd, now you can lie in bed, hear a song on TV and within a minute or so buy it, download it, and be listening it on your iPod. How can high street shops compete with that? Tough times are ahead, and not just for the staff who will be laid off as these shops close.