HMV targets Exeter Princesshay store
MUSIC, film and games retailer HMV is relocating its city store to Princesshay.
And its current premises in the High Street will soon be taken over by Fopp, another entertainment chain.
HMV will almost double the size of its city outlet when it moves into the prominent 6,000 sq ft unit formerly occupied by Zavvi, which has been vacant since it closed in January.
Wayne Pearce, Princesshay centre director, said: “We’re really excited that HMV has confirmed its move into one of our central units. The brand is internationally recognised and will be a fantastic addition to Princesshay.”
One new staff member is being hired as a result of the move, bringing the total to 16, while HMV’s sister company Fopp is currently recruiting around a dozen staff to work in the new High Street store.
Mark Bowles, HMV’s director of property, said: “We’re delighted to be taking up the site in Princesshay, which has an excellent location and is almost double the size of our longstanding store in the High Street.
“We’ve been looking to extend our trading space in Exeter for some time so as to offer improved range and service to our customers and also to introduce new product categories, such as iPods and other personal technology.
“The added bonus of this move is that it enables us to bring Fopp to the city as well. The two brands have their own, highly distinctive styles, customer offers and shopping environments, but complement each other very well, and will further increase choice for music, film and games fans in the city.”
The re-letting of the former Zavvi unit and the arrival of a new retailer in the city comes as the Echo’s Exeter Bites Back campaign continues to highlight positive developments for the local economy.
City centre manager John Harvey, an Exeter Bites Back ambassador, said: “It’s fantastic news on three counts. One, it will further reduce the number of vacant retail units we have in the city centre, which has levelled off and is beginning to move downwards.
“Second, it’s great that HMV will now be able to deliver a real flagship store in the city. And thirdly, we are getting a new brand.
“It’s great to see the existing HMV site being reused and a new name in that part of the High Street. I’m sure it will help to deliver additional shopper numbers. It’s another boost and another vote of confidence in the city centre.”
The new HMV store in Princesshay is expected to be open for business by Saturday, July 18, with Fopp due to start trading in its former premises around a week later.
9 Comments
by Stevo, exeter
Sunday, July 05 2009, 8:47PM
“anyone who thinks a GROCERY store would be allowed to move into princesshay is sooo wrong. fact is land securities want to keep princesshay a fashionable shopping district, so an ASDA would be pretty farfetched.
and i dunno why BERNIE thinks virgin megastore failed in exeter because it didnt, it simply rebranded to zavvi and moved to a new premises:S HMV shall succeeeeed!!”
by Bernie, Exeter
Saturday, July 04 2009, 7:56AM
“I agree that the Princesshay shopping centre would benefit massively with an Asda or similar supermarket that sells everything from groceries to cds, dvds etc. The fact is that the Virgin mega store failed in Exeter so there is little or no hope for the over priced HMV Store to succeed in Princesshay.”
by John G, Exeter
Saturday, July 04 2009, 7:06AM
“Mr T get your eyes tested ! I guess you work in HMV too”
by Mr T, Exeter
Friday, July 03 2009, 7:28PM
“John you muppet HMV is always packed in Exeter! Have you ever even been there? The same happened in Plymouth with HMV taking over the Zavvi in the new shopping centre. Of course Plymouth is a chav hole though...”
by Vicki, Exeter
Friday, July 03 2009, 2:18PM
“Well I'm glad of both pieces of news- Fopp is great (and cheap!) and with HMV moving to the old Zavvi site it will mean I can actually get upstairs with my buggy- I can't believe HMV still don't have a lift in store”
by john G, Exeter
Friday, July 03 2009, 1:32PM
“HMV is now outdated and pricey, i cannot see why Amanda is so excited about HMV moving into Princesshay shopping centre ( unless she of course works for them), the current HMV store is nearly always empty. A supermarket would bring a far higher volume of people into Princesshay.”
by Stuart, Exeter
Friday, July 03 2009, 8:36AM
“Good news that we're getting a Fopp down here, always a good selection in their other stores.”
by Amanda, Exeter
Friday, July 03 2009, 8:26AM
“I disagree. With M&S, Tesco, and Sainsbury's a stone's throw away, Princesshay doesn't need a self-service food outlet. HMV has outlasted Virgin, Zavvi and Woolies, surely proof enough that it receives more than its share of "foot fall", in fact, it virtually has a monopoly in the high street. May their success continue and I for one will be pleased that they will be occupying the black hole left behind by Zavvi.”
by david, Exeter
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:52AM
“Although it's good news that HMV is taking over an empty unit in Princesshay shopping centre, i dont believe the record store will attract the level of foot fall that the Princesshay traders are crying out for. A waitrose or Asda express type of food retail unit is what it needs to attract real shoppers and not just the window shoppers !”