I think that's just a temporary move while the old building is renovated. IIRC, the Hallmark next door moved down the street too and the old building is empty now.
HMV Canada - is the bell tolling for thee?
- Thread starter 23skidoo
- Start date
I think that's just a temporary move while the old building is renovated. IIRC, the Hallmark next door moved down the street too and the old building is empty now.
I actually said 'goodbye' to HMV a month ago.
When I first moved to Ontario in 1998, I was dazzled by the selection of classical-music CDs available at the big stores on Yonge Street in Toronto. I would visit Sam the Record Man and HMV every time I went to TO, first from Hamilton, and later from Sudbury.
But that's all gone now. First Sam the Record Man folded. Then HMV cut back on its classical-music selection: what had formerly taken up 2/3 of the top floor was reduced to just 1/3 of the top floor; what had formerly been the Jazz section was now the Classical section.
The last time I visited the store, I finally realized just how far it had fallen. The selection was a mere shadow of its former self. I bought a couple of CDs--including Faure's Requiem, appropriately enough--and vowed never to go back. It was just too painful.
I can still buy all the music I want. In fact, the selection available online, from amazon and arkivmusic (a specialty classical-music retailer) is better than anything Sam and HMV ever offered at their height. And I've started looking into downloading music as well.
But I'm going to miss being able to shop for music, as a leisure activity. The experience of going to a well-stocked store and browsing their selection was a real pleasure for me.
When I first moved to Ontario in 1998, I was dazzled by the selection of classical-music CDs available at the big stores on Yonge Street in Toronto. I would visit Sam the Record Man and HMV every time I went to TO, first from Hamilton, and later from Sudbury.
But that's all gone now. First Sam the Record Man folded. Then HMV cut back on its classical-music selection: what had formerly taken up 2/3 of the top floor was reduced to just 1/3 of the top floor; what had formerly been the Jazz section was now the Classical section.
The last time I visited the store, I finally realized just how far it had fallen. The selection was a mere shadow of its former self. I bought a couple of CDs--including Faure's Requiem, appropriately enough--and vowed never to go back. It was just too painful.
I can still buy all the music I want. In fact, the selection available online, from amazon and arkivmusic (a specialty classical-music retailer) is better than anything Sam and HMV ever offered at their height. And I've started looking into downloading music as well.
But I'm going to miss being able to shop for music, as a leisure activity. The experience of going to a well-stocked store and browsing their selection was a real pleasure for me.
Exactly, Goliath. If you're ever in Ottawa or in the Province of Quebec, you should check out Archambault. I go there everytime I go to Ottawa and it's a great store with a great selection. Probably our best store at the moment. I wish one would open up here in Sudbury since we have a large french-speaking population, but it equally serves the English population well too.
Dusty Ayres
Commodore
Christ, no wonder I saw two big boxes of discounted DVD's on sale when I went in there last week, and why my CV was rejected by the lady, as well as hearing that they planned to close up the other side of the store-what the fuck is going to happen to them? I just hope that it isn't closing down, because where will I buy DVD's and CD's?
I dunno... nobody seemed to be interested in acquiring Musicworld or Sam the Record Man () when they folded.
True enough. I think the biggest impact for me was losing Sam's. It was a great store, and I even relied on them to order something in at times. The staff was also pretty friendly. Then when they went out of business, I don't know about anywhere else, but MusicWorld took over the location, and they were Ok when they first moved in, but during the last years of the store, I started to feel disenchanted by them. There were at least three times I went in looking for music, after having browsed and seeing something I wanted months prior, only to be told they were removed from the shelves because they weren't selling. Well, fair enough. But to have it happen three times was a blow to me and I was starting to feel as if they weren't supporting the music I liked. And how could I support the bands by buying their albums if I couldn't find their albums in stores.
Yeah, Sam was amazing. Personally, I miss the Yonge Street flagship store more than anything. They always had an awesome selection, and that storefront was just a classic.
I've actually never been to the flagship store, unfortunately. I never spent much time in Toronto and only visited the city twice, but yeah, from what I'd seen of it, it was quite impressive. Maybe another store will fill the niche and pay homage to it with a similar sign.
I don't use them anymore. I went in to buy a Xmas present of a TV series for one of my sons and their price was $20 higher than Best Buy. I gave them a chance to match it and they said they wouldn't.
I really don't buy CDs anymore - I buy music online and listen to it on my computer and iPhone. I also stopped buying DVDs once I got Netflix.
I really don't buy CDs anymore - I buy music online and listen to it on my computer and iPhone. I also stopped buying DVDs once I got Netflix.
You're right, 23skidoo: HMV is one of the last places that tries to cater to music buffs and enthusiasts, and their end will be a sad day for Canadian consumers, whether they know it yet or not.
With the explosion in popularity of YouTube and iTunes, etc., etc., etc., I think people simply don't care so much about quality as they do convenience. MP3s, music compressed to hell just isn't the same as a compact disc. Watching a streamed movie over the net is not what I want.
With the explosion in popularity of YouTube and iTunes, etc., etc., etc., I think people simply don't care so much about quality as they do convenience. MP3s, music compressed to hell just isn't the same as a compact disc. Watching a streamed movie over the net is not what I want.
A little OT, I live in the UK and I went into the city of Nottingham on Wednesday and HMV had closed two of their stores including the biggest one, I'm going to miss HMV when they go. Shopping on line is not the same has browsing though a shop.
HMV also owns the Waterstone line of bookshops and if I remember rightly, the HMV Group is in such bad shape right now they plan on closing or selling off upto 600 branches nationwide.
Bath has a HMV and a Waterstones and I would be more upset if the latter closes over the former.
HMV is too expensive (at least here in the UK), there's a large new one opened up a couple of years back here in Doncaster, but walking through it kinda reminds me of a scene from Dawn of the Dead, lots of people milling around not buying anything (at least they're not consuming each others intestines).
I think it's sadly had it's day, Dimesdan - We have a Borders turned Waterstones here, I hope they're not under threat.
I think it's sadly had it's day, Dimesdan - We have a Borders turned Waterstones here, I hope they're not under threat.
A little OT, I live in the UK and I went into the city of Nottingham on Wednesday and HMV had closed two of their stores including the biggest one, I'm going to miss HMV when they go. Shopping on line is not the same has browsing though a shop.
HMV also owns the Waterstone line of bookshops and if I remember rightly, the HMV Group is in such bad shape right now they plan on closing or selling off upto 600 branches nationwide.
Bath has a HMV and a Waterstones and I would be more upset if the latter closes over the former.
There is a warterstones in Nottingham too, but for the life of me I can't think where it is.
A little OT, I live in the UK and I went into the city of Nottingham on Wednesday and HMV had closed two of their stores including the biggest one, I'm going to miss HMV when they go. Shopping on line is not the same has browsing though a shop.
HMV also owns the Waterstone line of bookshops and if I remember rightly, the HMV Group is in such bad shape right now they plan on closing or selling off upto 600 branches nationwide.
Bath has a HMV and a Waterstones and I would be more upset if the latter closes over the former.
There is a warterstones in Nottingham too, but for the life of me I can't think where it is.
There are Waterstones all over the place. I can think of four in my local area, two big ones in Bristol and Bath and two smaller ones in Trowbridge and Chippenham, I beleive there is one in Swindon, but I avoid that place like the plauge and another in Salisbury, but I hardly go there as it's a bitch to get too.
Very few people in my area can or do read it seems, for years there was just a W h smiths here, and it's a shocker, 3 floors, top one for stationary, bottom one for DVD's, videos and games, and the middle and main floor for magazines and books, shared about equally!
