General News Discussion

[The Nal]

HMV about to go into Administration according to the BBC

[abdoujaparov]

Ive been banging on for years about how they needed to educate the masses with quality music to protect the long term and stop pushing any old shit for quick sales.

It was obvious this was going to happen. Real shame for the 4000 staff but their company is run by short sighted greedy ignoramuses. Im surprised they've lasted this long to be honest.

[thetime]

No suprise hmv is about to go the same as virgin and the other music stores.

The ones bleating its a shame will be the ones robbing music for years by illegally downloading.

[abdoujaparov]

The ones bleating its a shame will be the ones robbing music for years by illegally downloading.

[thetime]

speak for yourself

[abdoujaparov]

HMV dedicated to music ? When is the last time you went into a HMV store ?

In some stores music takes up less than 10% of the shop!

[abdoujaparov]

Never downloaded illegally.

[Kowalski]

Real shame about HMV, they've started to sort out their online shop and in some areas were competing with the likes of Amazon and play.com. Must admit I haven't bought anything in one of their stores for a while but would certainly order from them online if the price was good. They will leave a big hole on the high street if they end up closing their stores.

My conscious is clear regarding illegal downloads.

[Kowalski]

It amazes me how companies like HMV, Jessops failed to take hold of the growth of the internet and exploit it to their own gain.

More amazing than that is how the giants of the 80s and early 90s, the catalogue firms, failed to exploit it as well! They had the warehouses, the networks, and the ability to have been Amazon!

All of them failed to fully appreciate the changing world until it was too late and left open doors for so many to exploit!

[The Nal]

all of that is true, but if they dont find a seller for the company as a going concern (which must be doubtful) that will mean that there is not a single high street dedicated music retailed left in the UK, which must be a sad day

[abdoujaparov]

No Tower Records in the UK?

HMV Oxford St is an incredible place. Sadly most others, everywhere, are a disgrace.

[TheGayTent]

Know HMV know music...

[thetime]

So thats comet/jessops/hmv gone in a few months, whats the chances of currys/pc world lasting?

Edited January 14, 2013 by thetime

[The Nal]

What's the point of having a big folk/roots section and employing people who know fuck all about the music?

[abdoujaparov]

So thats comet/jessops/hmv gone in a few months, whats the chances of currys/pc world lasting?

[5co77ie]

So thats comet/jessops/hmv gone in a few months, whats the chances of currys/pc world lasting?

[thetime]

Dixons Group (which owns Currys and PC World) look reasonably healthy. Although they posted an £80m loss for the first half of this year, most of this was caused by a qwrote down in the value of Pixmania and the group as a whole was profitable last year. Most importantly, Dixons doesnt have the debt of Comet, Jessops or HMV (it was their inability to service their dent that brought them down). Dixons debt is only £9.9m (£140m less than last year) on turnover over of more than £3bn. For now, I'd say they were reasonably safe

[abdoujaparov]

Ive heard the dixons group have loans of 270m.

[The Nal]

Yeah Dixons are going nowhere. Pixmania is turning into a monster. Theyre un Europe now too.

Although Ive had a fucking mare with them recently trying to buy a turntable. Crazy lead times out of nowhere and zero communication about it. Not even an email. Cancelled my third order in 3 weeks earlier.

Edited January 14, 2013 by The Nal

[thetime]

according to what's in the news, their net debt is £9.9m

[abdoujaparov]

Yeah Dixons are going nowhere. Pixmania is turning into a monster.

Although Ive had a fucking mare with them recently trying to buy a turntable. Crazy lead times out of nowhere and zero communication about it. Not even an email. Cancelled my third order in 3 weeks earlier.

[The Nal]

I'd never heard of Pixmania, but I generally dont shop online if I can avoid it

[grumpyhack]

I just done my 2 second all grain homebrew beer... First did a Sierra Nevada PA Clone and then did Oatmeal Stout.

You better believe that is about tax avoidance! Better beer cheaper price... Works out about 60p a for 500ml when its £2.10 for 330 ml in the supermarket!

Back of the net

[thetime]

I brew because I love good beer. You just can't get good beer in a pub most of the time.

[Ed209]

Plenty of opportunity for that though outside of a boozer... Anyway, 90% of the people I meet turn out to be c**ts anyway so no great loss really.