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.