HMV ahead of the game
Chart-topping band Hard-Fi is helping launch the latest breed of music shop as the HMV chain unveils a new image.
It used to be just a place to buy records – but now shoppers can go there to meet up with friends, quench their thirst, watch DVDs and play games.
The change comes as stores face increasing competition from the internet for people buying music.
A juice bar offering smoothies and internet access will form the centrepiece of the HMV's new "social Hub", which opens at the Merry Hill centre tomorrow after the store shut six weeks ago for a refit.
Hard-Fi were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize with their first album, Stars of CCTV, which also made it to number one in the charts.
They will be performing a mini-gig to mark the reopening before signing copies of their new album, Once Upon A Time In The West.
The new-look shop includes a digital kiosk for downloading and listening to music, a children's DVD zone and Xbox 360 live games demo pod where gamers can compete against others from around the world. The reopening brings with it five new jobs to add to the team of 20 staff at the store.
Spokesman Carol Perera said: "This really is a new hi-tech store of the future and will be the blueprint for retail. It is going to be a great addition to the Merry Hill centre."
The reopening will be at 1pm.
