Now HMV into Admin

[Hacker Khan]

It's not just Amazon/iTunes they were competing with - almost every other high street store that sold chart music and DVD's beat them on price. Even without the off-shore online shops and iTunes HMV's days were numbered.

People blame online shopping, but many shops have been at risk since magazines started putting the information the public want in their hands every month, along with special offers from other retailers listed in the back. I remember travelling to Richer Sounds and SuperFi in Birmingham to buy audio equipment because it was cheaper than my local audio shop in town who could not price match. No internet, just a bit of time reading the reviews and checking the prices in the back of the magazines saved me over £150.

Shopping has evolved this way. You give the public the information to know what they need/want, reviews and opinions of others who have tried it, and a list of the best places to obtain it - and they will go ahead and use it. The internet is the tool of choice today, but 25+ years ago for many it was magazines doing the same thing to the small shops.

Any computer technician, mechanic, plumber, electrician, landscaper etc. will have seen their business stripped away by making their knowledge and skills available to the masses, which then do it themselves rather than call an "expert". Years ago their daily rates and call out costs made it a pleasure to go to work, today their knowledge is printed on a sheet of paper and handed out free to every tom-dick-and-harry who wants to have a go themselves. Granted, some will prefer the reassuring presence of a professional, and some will screw it up and need help - but there are quite a few who will figure it out themselves.

Even the local golf pro trying to convince his members to book lessons is up against the latest tour star DVD, YouTube, and golf magazines.

There is little concept for the value of things. Music, videos, games etc. are all consumed as if they were nothing more than a bar of chocolate, except in some cases no real money is even handed over. Instead a transaction takes place for your purchase, but your wallet/purse/pocket is no lighter.
As things become so easily accessible we put in less time and effort to obtain them, and thus we have less of a connection to our purchase as it has no real memory or experience associated to it. It is just a transaction, and in its digital form holds little to be desired or cherished.

For music, videos, games and books it was always going to go this way. Before iPods and iTunes, before piracy and unlimited downloads, before shop closures and job losses - we were all looking to get more for less.

We are consumers, and we are consuming.

Can I just say, quality post there. Where did you copy paste it from?

 

[WideEyedFox]

Can I just say, quality post there. Where did you copy paste it from?

Cheeky bugger! I spent an hour writing that! :lol:

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

There is little concept for the value of things. Music, videos, games etc. are all consumed as if they were nothing more than a bar of chocolate, except in some cases no real money is even handed over. Instead a transaction takes place for your purchase, but your wallet/purse/pocket is no lighter

I think there is something in this - especially if we consider the main consumers of what HMV sells to be the under-25s. And what sort of 'value' environment has that generation been brought up in? Yes - the Great Credit Explosion. As far as that generation is concerned just about anything can be obtained whenever they want it - and why? Not because they or Mum or Dad could afford it - but because Mum or Dad had access to almost unlimited credit.

And as a parent of a 17 yr old and a 20 yr old I put my hands up and say 'mea culpa'. Due to the ease that I could get credit when needed, my kids have never really 'wanted' for anything - they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. They have spent their allowance on day-to-day things and have never really put into practice the concept of saving to buy something they wanted. Why bother when they could 'borrow' money from the Bank of MaD on the 'never never'. Oh uyes - we'll pay you back. Never happened. Can't blame anyone else but myself - and my kids simply had the same expectations as all their mates - and they all had their own Bank of MaD.

How many PC, PS2, XBox etc games have been bought for £25-£40 - to be discarded as junk. Astonishing. Music is something you download and listen to. Most of it is ephemeral and most kids couldn't tell you what music they have - either bought or pirated. Either way it'll be discarded unnoticed and unloved. Music as a 'thing' you 'bought' and 'cherished' as we oldies did with vinyl albums is no more. Music is not something you collect - it is a disposable commodity.

And so HMV bites the dust. And I am partly to blame (though I won;t beat myself up on it).

Ironic that only at the weekend I got my turntable all plugged in and up and running again after 20yrs in the loft and brought down a small selection of my albums to listen to. Had Hipsway by Hipsway (1986) spinning earlier and sounding just great A joy that the young of today and future generations may never experience...

 

[DappaDonDave]

Ironic that only at the weekend I got my turntable all plugged in and up and running again after 20yrs in the loft and brought down a small selection of my albums to listen to. Had Hipsway by Hipsway (1986) spinning earlier and sounding just great A joy that the young of today and future generations may never experience...

I had a similar experience recently, plugged in my old 2nd gen iPod to discover all the classics from my college days

Lil Jon
Kanye west
Jay z

The list continues....

 

[6inchcup]

the last time i had a cd out was to put it under my cuppa so as to not spoil my coffee table,who is still buying them in this day and age,HMV like JESSOPS and WOOLWORTHS etc have just not been able to cope with newer trends and shopping habits,either cameras on phones or being able to download a film or album from your home and the influx of pound shops,just because they are a well known high street stalwart means nothing,the public deside were we spend our money and im sorry but the weak will go by the wayside and no ammount of hand wringing will change that.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Music is something you download and listen to. Most of it is ephemeral and most kids couldn't tell you what music they have - either bought or pirated. Either way it'll be discarded unnoticed and unloved. Music as a 'thing' you 'bought' and 'cherished' as we oldies did with vinyl albums is no more. Music is not something you collect - it is a disposable commodity.

I think there a bit of rose tinted glasses on there. Some music was always disposable and was treated as such, no matter if it arrived via vinyl or those new fangled CD things. And some music was treasured. And it's the same nowadays with 'the kids'. The live scene is thriving and the only difference is that they now have easier access to the music, so instead of queuing up in Our Price they now download it.

But I would argue that the kids of today are just as passionate, if not more actually, as access to and discovering new music is so easy now compared to 'our day'. When was a lad it was a case of listening to late night radio, reading Melody Maker and often buying without actually having heard the song. Now you just fire up Spotify. Which I think is great.

 

[bladeplayer]

Would you feel the same way if you were another creditor of this company. If a buyer is found then I have no doubt that vouchers will be accepted again, so don't go throwing any away. But whilst there is the potential that other creditors won't receive a penny then these creditors cannot either.

If you want to keep the company going you are going to need public support & a throughput of customers to make it at least look a viable business to potential buyers ..
i think selling vouchers in the christmas run in when they had to have some idea they werent meeting the banks repayment criteria was paramount to stealing , ie taking cash when they had fair idea they would/could not be honouring most of them ..

To honestly answer your question if i was another creditor id only be intrested in how of if i got MY money .. much the same as everyone i supose

 

[Val]

Do people still pay for music when it's free on the internet?? How quaint and 1990s.

It's been going the tubes for ages now, they just can not compete on price and also do not have the specialist niche to trade on either. Can't say it will effect how I get hold of music (and yes I do actually pay for it before the pious brigade accuse me of bankrupting HMV, putting 4,000 people out of a job and threatens to email my details to the BPI). It's slightly sad to see and feel for those who may lose their jobs, but then again it's not as if you can't get hold of what they sell elsewhere and often cheaper.

And I am still slightly bitter after HMV rejected me for a place in their graduate scheme several moons ago.

Interesting statement your first line. No music is legally "free"

Is it any wonder they went into administration?

 

[Hacker Khan]

Interesting statement your first line. No music is legally "free"

Is it any wonder they went into administration?

You did read the second paragraph? Also The Radiohead Album In Rainbows was legally free if you wanted to pay nothing for it.