The lights go out on HMV’s flagship Oxford Street store
HMV’S flagship store at 150 Oxford Street closed its doors for the last time yesterday, almost 30 years after it was first opened.
The world’s biggest music store, which opened in 1986, will be converted into a Sports Direct after the sportswear giant snapped up the lease to the 60,000 square foot shop.
The troubled music retailer has moved back into its original shop at 363 Oxford Street as part of its new owner Hilco’s efforts to cut costs.
The smaller 20,000 sq ft store at the west end of Oxford Street was where the very first HMV shop was launched as His Master’s Voice in July 1921, in a ceremony presided over by the composer Sir Edward Elgar.
Restructuring firm Hilco rescued HMV out of administration in April last year in a £40m deal that included 141 stores and more than 2,000 jobs.