HMV Canada
![]() The company's logo from 2024 to present | |
Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Retail |
Founded | 1986 February 2024 (revival) | (original)
Products | Books film television music technology merchandise cinema |
Owner | Sunrise Records (2019–present)[a] |
Parent | HMV (1986–2017) Toys "R" Us Canada (2024–present) |
Website | hmv |
HMV Canada is a music and entertainment retailer, operated by Sunrise Records. Since February 2024, it has been a concession in select Toys "R" Us locations.[1][2]
Previously, from 1986 to 2017, HMV Canada was a chain of standalone retail stores, with its head office located in Etobicoke.[3]
History
[edit]1986–2017
[edit]In 1986, EMI Music Canada purchased the Mister Sound chain.[citation needed] EMI then attempted to rebrand the sites as His Master's Voice stores, but were not granted the rights from brand owners Technicolor SA.[4] However, EMI were not prevented from using just the 'HMV' initials, which were sometimes initialised to "Hot Music Values" in radio and television commercials in the 1990s.[citation needed]
In 1991, EMI opened HMV Canada's flagship store at 333 Yonge Street in Toronto.[citation needed] The flagship store hosted in-store concerts from Puff Daddy, D'Angelo, Green Day, Foxy Brown, Ramones, Guns N' Roses, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. A concert hosted by the Red Hot Chili Peppers had the Yonge and Edward Street intersection closed off.[5][6] The Yonge Street store was also notable for promoting local indie music scene by giving unsigned bands prominent shelf space on the ground floor, as well as hosting in-store concerts and events with Toronto bands.[6]
The retailer also occupied a two-level, 20,000 square foot store in West Edmonton Mall which included an event stage (known as the Phase IV Stage) in front of the store. The Phase IV Stage often hosted musical performances or autograph signings by artists who were making tour stops in Edmonton.[7]
In June 2010, HMV Canada launched purehmv, a customer rewards program that offered store discounts and exclusive items across music, film, and gaming in exchange for points gained in-store.[8] Over 300,000 customers joined the program in its first four months.[9]
In June 2011, HMV Canada sold its stores for £2 million to Hilco Capital, a British firm specialising in retail restructuring.[10]
In late 2011, HMV Canada announced closures of its Downtown Vancouver and Richmond Centre stores.[11]
By 2012, HMV had 113 stores in Canada, down from 121 when it was sold by HMV Group. However, Hilco Capital opened several new stores, including one in Peter Pond Mall in Fort McMurray.[12] In late 2012, Hilco Capital reported they were successful at restructuring HMV Canada, and that there were no plans to cease operations.[13] As part of its strategy, HMV Canada focused on growing back-catalogue music and movies not found at discount rivals, while also carrying higher-margin merchandise like gifts, collectibles, clothing and headphones, while removing video games and technology hardware from sale.[citation needed]
By January 2017, the company had $39 million in debt, after running at a loss since 2014.[citation needed] Hilco Capital stated that financial difficulties, combined with decreasing sales, meant the current situation was not sustainable. On January 27, 2017, HUK 10 Ltd., the shell company owned by Hilco employee, business partner of Nick Williams, and owner of HMV UK, Paul McGowan sued HMV Canada in the Ontario Superior Court.[14] They were successful, and Hilco Capital announced plans to close all HMV Canada locations by April 30, 2017.[15] HMV Canada locations held clear-out sales of their remaining inventory.[16] The flagship store on Yonge Street in Toronto closed on April 14, 2017.[5]
In February 2017, Ontario-based chain Sunrise Records bought the leases of 70 of HMV Canada locations in an effort to convert into Sunrise Records locations, and invited 1,340 former HMV Canada employees to apply for 700 positions. HMV Canada's flagship location on Yonge Street in Toronto was one of the several locations that were not part of the deal, and remained vacant.[17][18]
2019–present
[edit]On February 5, 2019, Sunrise Records subsequently announced its intent to buy HMV UK out of administration from Hilco Capital for an undisclosed amount, with the possibility of HMV Canada's revival being considered.[19]
In February 2024, Toys "R" Us Canada (also owned by Sunrise Records owner Doug Putman) announced that it would begin to introduce HMV-branded store-within-a-store departments at its locations, carrying music, home video, and various pop-culture collectibles. The retailer also returned to online trading.[20]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Brand Owned by JD Sports
References
[edit]- ^ "HMV making comeback through Toys "R" Us locations in Ontario | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "HMV Is Coming Back, but Inside Toys "R" Us Locations for Some Reason │ Exclaim!". HMV Is Coming Back, but Inside Toys "R" Us Locations for Some Reason │ Exclaim!. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ pssadm (January 31, 2017). "HMV Canada's Statement On Closing All 102 Stores". That Eric Alper. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Canadian Trademarks Details 1396181-0 – Canadian Trademarks Database – Intellectual property and copyright – Canadian Intellectual Property Office – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada" – via ic.gc.ca.
- ^ a b "HMV's landmark Yonge St. store signs off, leaving a wistful few feeling bereft – The Star". Toronto Star. April 14, 2017.
- ^ a b Berman, Stuart (April 13, 2017). "Goodbye, HMV on Yonge Street". NOW Magazine.
- ^ "Sunrise Records set to take over HMV's West Edmonton Mall location - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca".
- ^ "hmv gets customers closer to the stuff they love with new rewards program". newswire.ca. June 14, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ "More than 300,000 customers join HMV's customer loyalty program in first four months". paymentsbusiness.ca. November 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
- ^ Amanda Andrews; Matthew Holehouse (June 27, 2011). "HMV confirms sale of stores in Canada for £2m". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Music retailer HMV to close stores in January. The Vancouver Sun.
- ^ "HMV opens in Peter Pond mall | Fort McMurray Today". Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
- ^ "Canadian HMV not impacted by British version's demise - Business - CBC News". Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
- ^ https://document-api-images-prod.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/acBXHBVuLpAXPkxFhzQ-fpzK7jwgim0mrZvEegJyoiA/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3FQWR4JGI%2F20181209%2Feu-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20181209T234120Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=FQoGZXIvYXdzEFYaDOHYY5Q8w08%2BvOjqdyK3A8%2BRxygZNhh4evHmgFD1PfX2dB7Q5kIbL3pXT8%2FneMq1xfzXif5rrkmd2cA1se4SYkdusarCZNtmwf9MAcq84IpeK0GwIQ1SNwWGbArERMXXLrIVHaKpnnQqoOgQuf60q3qpggi%2FrbJk8Mt3xwVb3PJVjmhttuxGES1MGP7vwpgeGtz2pF11Metj9AEDKkvSC%2FZHYM5N3eE4LiYQneFcU2JWWzLbE6tk5vH9voETPUw5JRvyu5kEq3n5rTIUVVguTNSbde%2B0bi7O%2Fr%2FqHll9GaMJLWxME6iW3ljNUwreIYP3sZTD%2F8pL2fJNcm%2Fvhf8CTR3jWGe19RdG8oD3nz2X8CH%2F06FK4YRfhdgG4WuIUOWp4472RxFSDICC4SFtAd2Zw8qaVTmM4E%2FwzkNBlTyABn781wZ9Q5QwqpuqHYyo9XVUZwmb1z%2F3re83PZygL5faszHp2E081XGS9Ot32Pnn%2Bq73U24s%2FlDIaSWYDJCxIlm%2BcWsQ5ixtEuBtUfJsTAsC9J9HaRlt7nVCFIGVDuq4z%2F3c6dn0DxAZxFs7Jh3BQJlndwaopwCplZHGfz8j97OIgJ7gXjiI7tEo4%2Fe14AU%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=6f8e1a8caef6f1c6e5bbf446fcb503f2d7b437673ee3a338fc978d2672d3cdb5 [dead link]
- ^ "HMV Canada to Close All 102 Stores by April". Anime News Network. February 1, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "HMV in receivership, stores to close by Apr. 30". Toronto Star. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ "Sunrise Records to move into 70 closing HMV locations". Toronto Star. February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ "Sunrise Records takes over 70 HMV locations in malls | CBC News".
- ^ Evans, Pete (February 5, 2019). "Canada's Sunrise Records swoops in to buy British music store chain HMV out of bankruptcy". Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ "HMV making comeback through Toys 'R' Us locations". CTVNews. February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
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