SHOPPERS have been eagerly anticipating the return of an iconic high street store that’s returning after 4 years.
Music giant HMV is returning to its famous old London HQ — four years after being rescued from administration.
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The chain, now back in profit, will reoccupy 363 Oxford Street as demand for vinyl, CDs and cassettes grows among younger listeners.
And excited fans have shared their enthusiasm on social media this Bank Holiday weekend.
On Twitter, one shopper said: “Best news I’ve heard all day! Now they need to open the other one that used to be on Oxford Street, that’s now a JD Sports.”
While another commented: “Excellent news.”
And another wrote: “That’s great news!”
Entrepreneur Doug Putman took over the business, which is now as popular for its band T-shirts, Pokemon merchandise and Squishmallow toys as it is for its music.
He plans to relaunch later this year with live performances from stars such as Ed Sheeran.
HMV stands for His Master’s Voice, the title of a painting of dog Nipper listening to a gramophone, which is the company’s logo.
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The Oxford Street shop, its first in Britain, has carved a place in music history since opening in 1921.
Manager Brian Epstein made a demo tape of The Beatles in its recording studio, landing the Fab Four their first record deal.
In 1995, Blur played a rooftop gig to launch their Great Escape album as helicopters circled.
A year on, 6,000 people watched the Spice Girls turn Christmas Lights on at the landmark shop.
When HMV went bust, the business failed to agree a deal with landlords. Most recently, its old HQ was used by a US candy store.
The good news comes after many shops have been disappearing from the high street.
Lidl, which has 950 sites, is closing or relocating three of its supermarkets over the next couple of months.
Its store on Drayton Road, Mile Cross, will close on Sunday, April 30, and its shop on Sturry Road, Canterbury, will close on Sunday, May 28.
B&M has announced that its Bishop Auckland branch will shut on Friday, May 5.
It may not come as a shock to hear Paperchase closed stores in April, given its collapse into administration in January.
All 105 shops across the UK have shut.
It’s not just retailers closing branches – Wetherspoon and Stonegate, which owns Slug and Lettuce and Be At One, are closing a number of boozers and restaurants this year.
And big-name banks are closing dozens of branches this month – including Barclays and HSBC.
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