Tower Records criticises HMV for ‘Record Store Day’ celebration

Entertainment retailer HMV will reopen on Grafton Street on Saturday April 19th, Irish Record Store Day.

Although HMV are excluded from Record Store Day — which is an international celebration of independently owned record shops — they are having a “Record Store Celebration” on their opening day with a special one-day sale with40 per cent off all vinyl albums.

The original Grafton Street HMV shop closed over a year ago, but since being taken over by the Canadian rescue firm Hilco, seven Irish HMVs have re-opened across the country in the last 12 months.

But re-opening the flagship Grafton Street HMV store was always the top priority for the company.

Located in the old A-Wear shop, HMV will mark its return with a series of customer-friendly opening day deals. There will be special reductions on CDs, DVDs and video games, with Blu-ray players for €9.99, and €100 off Xbox One and PS4 consoles.

DJ sets from the Ministry of Sound and live band performances will add to the party atmosphere on the day.

HMV's decision to re-open on Grafton Street on Irish Record Store Day has drawn a sharp response from the country's leading Irish-owned record store — Tower Records.

"While we welcome HMV owners Hilco Capital to Grafton Street and wish them well for as long as they continue to trade on the street, we think it's quite the cynical marketing ploy that they should decide to have a "Record Store Celebration" day on the same day as the official Record Store Day — a day in which they are not permitted to participate," says Tower Records head of PR and parketing, Aileen Galvin.

“The real Record Store Day is the one day in the year when independently owned record stores across the world join with musical artists to support, endorse and celebrate independent record stores who against the odds continue to trade and also invest in long term leases, provide secure long term employment and contribute to the indigenous music industry and community.”