Entertainment retailer HMV has reopened on Dublin's Henry Street today, more than six months after the chain said it was closing its 16 stores here for good.
New HMV owner Hilco will reopen three other stores next week in Liffey Valley shopping centre, Dundrum Town Centre and Limerick’s Crescent shopping centre.
A receiver was appointed to the entertainment retail chain in the middle of January, and about 300 staff were made redundant in February when Deloitte said the business was not viable. Hilco subsequently bought HMV’s retail outlets in Ireland and Britain, and also bought DVD chain Xtravision in June.
There are further plans to open HMV outlets in 26 Xtravision stores across the country by the end of the month. Stores in Athlone, Ballina, Blackpool, Douglas, Carlow, Drogheda, Dundalk, Ennis, and Galway will be dual-branded.
The return of the HMV chain was welcomed by leading figures in the music industry, with the major labels here noting the strong demand for phsical products among Irish consumers.
"HMV will continue to support and promote local music," chief execuitve of Hilco Capital Ireland Larry Howard said. " We will be hosting live gigs in all four of our stores on a regular basis, which is a huge opportunity for Irish music acts to gain exposure and perform their music to Irish fans."
The company was praised by the National Consumer Agency last month after it announced it would honour the gift vouchers customers had bought prior to its closure. Those with the vouchers are being asked to register them online with HMV before October 11th, and they will be swapped for vouchers with an equal value from October 14th. The reissued vouchers will be valid until November 15th.
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