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HMV announces changes within its leadership team

February 4, 2025 by Angela Beevers

HMV has promoted David Athey and Kate Longbottom to the newly created roles of commercial director and head of marketing. Previously head of music and technology,... View Article View Article

ABOUT HMV

HMV is a British music and entertainment retailer whose name stands for His Master’s Voice.

HMV Company Profile

HMV is a British music and entertainment retailer whose name stands for His Master’s Voice. This is the title of a painting by Francis Barraud of Nipper the dog listening to a Phonograph cylinder, which was purchased by the company in 1899. The brand itself is over 100 years old, with origins dating back to a Gramophone Company on London’s Oxford Street in 1921. The retailer was owned by Waterstones bookshop from 1998 until 2011, it has also owned the music retailer Fopp since August 2007. The brand purchased a number of former Zavvi stores in 2009 too. The last decade has been incredibly tough for HMV, being saved from administration twice, by Hilco in 2013 and then again by Sunrise Records in 2019. Since then, it has closed unsuccessful high rent stores and plans for stability before rebuilding again in the future. A key part of its future growth is likely to be due to emulating growth strategies used in Canada and leveraging the vinyl revival. HMV Products and Services:

Audio - CDs, Records
Books
Video Games, DVDs and Blu-Ray
Pop culture merchandise
Record players and headphones
HMV Digital - an online music download service

Ownership Following being placed into administration at the end of 2018. Canadian record store chain Sunrise Records announced its acquisition of HMV for an amount of around £1 million. 27 HMV locations in the UK were immediately closed due to high rent costs, but Sunrise insists it has plans to maintain and eventually expand the brand once again. Doug Putman, CEO of Sunrise Records, is now stated as owning HMV and its subsidiaries (including Fopp).

Stores

As of 21 May 2019, there were 113 HMV stores across the UK, however this figure is likely to have changed slightly now.

All music, television and other products can be bought online and can be ordered for download, home delivery or click and collect.

Employees

In 2019, HMV had 1,600 employees, predominantly working in the stores all across the country, with some also working in administration and in the head office.