HMV expands into cinemas

High street entertainment giant HMV is to start running cinemas following a deal with independent operator Curzon.

The retailer plans to open the cinemas in its existing retail buildings if a trial at its Wimbledon store, due to open in the Autumn is successful.

The move is the latest step by the retailer to stretch the brand over complementary entertainment arenas. Earlier this year several live music venues were re-branded with the HMV brand following a partnership deal with live music operator Mama Group.

The Wimbledon hmvcurzon will have three screens and a 200 seat capacity and will feature the luxury hallmarks of existing Curzon cinemas, such as a café-bar.

“Millions of film fans visit HMV’s high street stores each year, making them an ideal destination for this new type of cinema experience, says HMV group chief executive Simon Fox.

“This exciting partnership with Curzon Artificial Eye complements our recent joint venture for live music, and further demonstrates our commitment to getting our customers even closer to the film and entertainment content they love,” he adds.

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