HMV plots campaign for new store format
HMV is gearing up to launch a six-figure campaign to promote its new format technology stores, in a bid to reverse its declining sales in the run up to the Christmas trading period.
The entertainment retailer will run a multiplatform campaign using the strapline “Play It, Touch It, Live It” to educate shoppers about the “Fast Forward” tech stores.
An initial burst of activity will run during the Bank Holiday weekend and TV, press, outdoor and social media will run during the second half of the year, as well as in stores, windows and via its PureHMV loyalty scheme, which has 1.7m members.
The format, which dedicates more than 25% of the shop floor to technology products displayed on wall units and presentation tables, was trialled at six stores earlier this year, and resulted in an uplift of sales. HMV plans to have 150 “Fast Forward” stores by the end of the year.
HMV hopes that a greater focus on complementary accessories such as headphones and sound systems from premium brands such as Bose, Apple and Beats by Dr Dre headphones will revive its retail business, which reported an 11% fall in like for like sales in the 53 weeks to 30 April.
It aims to become the leading specialist retailer of personal technology on the high street and has also doubled the size of its technology buying team as part of the company wide organisational changes that put more focus on technology products.
HMV Head of Technology, Ewan Pinder, says: “HMV’s remit has always been about giving its customers the widest-possible access to music, film and games, however they want to discover and enjoy them, so expanding our range of technology products, through which so many of us increasingly consume our entertainment content these days, is actually a very natural fit for us.”
HMV recently registered the name Headphones Hut, but it is understood that this is not going to appear in stores.
