Another High Street Rebrand

[allwillbewell]

Haha, so landlords were trying to make them pay more, HMV refused and so announced a store closure, only the greedy landlords couldn't find another tenant so were forced to accept HMV's offer? It would serve them right if HMV did close (and reopen somewhere else?) and the landlord ends up without any rental income at all.

The Oxford St store in London has been sitting empty since HMV left. The landlord now has to pay for security after a protest group gained access a few months ago. You have to ask who the landlord is to be so greedy and prefer a shell than a lively store. The last time I was in there was in 2019 when it was announced they were going bust, very sad to see the staff behind the tills trying to get the loyalty card points to deduct before it all got turned off for customers.

In fairness, in common with the rest of the world, the landlord at Oxford Street probably didn't expect a global pandemic last year...

It's perfectly reasonable for a commercial landlord for such a prime unit to try and get the maximum they can for it. I'm not sure why you think busyness/activeness should really come in to equation for them at all.

Haha, so landlords were trying to make them pay more, HMV refused and so announced a store closure, only the greedy landlords couldn't find another tenant so were forced to accept HMV's offer? It would serve them right if HMV did close (and reopen somewhere else?) and the landlord ends up without any rental income at all.

That's your supposition, not mine. Equally possible that HMV's lease was approaching a natural conclusion and rather than renewing they chose to announce the store was closing, and the landlord chose to act to retain them. Both HMV and the landlords are businesses, neither have to work with one another and neither is less inherently greedy than the other.

COVID has been going on since March 2020, HMV want to return to London, the store still sits empty because the landlord refuses to make a deal. Lots of empty shops on Oxford St now. I think that is the problem, it being an empty space and an eyesore doesn't enter the equation, it is just greed.

[Joe]

Equally, HMV refuses to make a deal.

[allwillbewell]

Equally, HMV refuses to make a deal.

Not just HMV, the store has been empty since early/mid 2019.

[WillPS]

The Oxford St store in London has been sitting empty since HMV left. The landlord now has to pay for security after a protest group gained access a few months ago. You have to ask who the landlord is to be so greedy and prefer a shell than a lively store. The last time I was in there was in 2019 when it was announced they were going bust, very sad to see the staff behind the tills trying to get the loyalty card points to deduct before it all got turned off for customers.

In fairness, in common with the rest of the world, the landlord at Oxford Street probably didn't expect a global pandemic last year...

It's perfectly reasonable for a commercial landlord for such a prime unit to try and get the maximum they can for it. I'm not sure why you think busyness/activeness should really come in to equation for them at all.

Haha, so landlords were trying to make them pay more, HMV refused and so announced a store closure, only the greedy landlords couldn't find another tenant so were forced to accept HMV's offer? It would serve them right if HMV did close (and reopen somewhere else?) and the landlord ends up without any rental income at all.

That's your supposition, not mine. Equally possible that HMV's lease was approaching a natural conclusion and rather than renewing they chose to announce the store was closing, and the landlord chose to act to retain them. Both HMV and the landlords are businesses, neither have to work with one another and neither is less inherently greedy than the other.

COVID has been going on since March 2020, HMV want to return to London, the store still sits empty because the landlord refuses to make a deal. Lots of empty shops on Oxford St now. I think that is the problem, it being an empty space and an eyesore doesn't enter the equation, it is just greed.

And you know for a fact that HMV are trying to secure that unit, do you? Perhaps the rates alone make it unviable for them!

It seems to me you are trying to construct a narrative without possession of all the facts here.

[allwillbewell]

In fairness, in common with the rest of the world, the landlord at Oxford Street probably didn't expect a global pandemic last year...

It's perfectly reasonable for a commercial landlord for such a prime unit to try and get the maximum they can for it. I'm not sure why you think busyness/activeness should really come in to equation for them at all.


That's your supposition, not mine. Equally possible that HMV's lease was approaching a natural conclusion and rather than renewing they chose to announce the store was closing, and the landlord chose to act to retain them. Both HMV and the landlords are businesses, neither have to work with one another and neither is less inherently greedy than the other.

COVID has been going on since March 2020, HMV want to return to London, the store still sits empty because the landlord refuses to make a deal. Lots of empty shops on Oxford St now. I think that is the problem, it being an empty space and an eyesore doesn't enter the equation, it is just greed.

And you know for a fact that HMV are trying to secure that unit, do you? Perhaps the rates alone make it unviable for them!

It seems to me you are trying to construct a narrative without possession of all the facts here.

I'm just giving you my opinion. The store is empty, HMV or no HMV, the landlord has not found anyone to pay what they want. Therefore from that we can start to guess why. It would make sense for HMV to return to that location and I suspect they will have tried already or will at least try to soon as they have announced they want to return to London and have a flagship store.

The only fact we have is that the store is empty and has been since HMV left. It seems to me that you are a lover of commercial landlords.

[WillPS]

I'm just trying to point out that it is not as simple as 'store vacant so landlord must be greedy'. Even the primest of units can struggle to find tenants, particularly in adverse wider circumstances, as I'm sure you can agree the last 18 months have been.

It seems to me that you are a lover of commercial landlords.

Correct, I bloody love commercial landlords.

[all new Phil]

COVID has been going on since March 2020, HMV want to return to London, the store still sits empty because the landlord refuses to make a deal. Lots of empty shops on Oxford St now. I think that is the problem, it being an empty space and an eyesore doesn't enter the equation, it is just greed.

And you know for a fact that HMV are trying to secure that unit, do you? Perhaps the rates alone make it unviable for them!

It seems to me you are trying to construct a narrative without possession of all the facts here.

I'm just giving you my opinion. The store is empty, HMV or no HMV, the landlord has not found anyone to pay what they want. Therefore from that we can start to guess why. It would make sense for HMV to return to that location and I suspect they will have tried already or will at least try to soon as they have announced they want to return to London and have a flagship store.

The only fact we have is that the store is empty and has been since HMV left. It seems to me that you are a lover of commercial landlords.

“HMV want to return to London, the store still sits empty because the landlord refuses to make a deal” is not an opinion.

[allwillbewell]

And you know for a fact that HMV are trying to secure that unit, do you? Perhaps the rates alone make it unviable for them!

It seems to me you are trying to construct a narrative without possession of all the facts here.

I'm just giving you my opinion. The store is empty, HMV or no HMV, the landlord has not found anyone to pay what they want. Therefore from that we can start to guess why. It would make sense for HMV to return to that location and I suspect they will have tried already or will at least try to soon as they have announced they want to return to London and have a flagship store.

The only fact we have is that the store is empty and has been since HMV left. It seems to me that you are a lover of commercial landlords.

“HMV want to return to London, the store still sits empty because the landlord refuses to make a deal” is not an opinion.

Do you need it spoon fed to you?

“Our goal is to keep all 127,” he said. “I think there’s hope [for Oxford Street]. We would love to keep it open, it is such an iconic store. We would even be willing to keep it open and lose money. Customers love it.”

HMV has been trading on London’s most famous shopping street for almost a century – its original store was opened there in 1921 by Sir Edward Elgar, the British composer.

But the site is expensive – rent on the Oxford Street store is £3.2m a year, and the rates bill is £1.4m, according to HMV’s former owner, Hilco.

Putman said if he could not cut a deal with the landlord, he would look for another central London flagship with a more affordable rent.

He is investing more than £10m into HMV as he revamps the website, ensures the latest releases are in stock and gives store managers more freedom to buy what their local customers want.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... all-stores

Obviously the landlord refused to lower the cost of rent.

Edit: Sorry if I seemed rude, I woke up on the wrong side of bed.

[Finn]

I like how Dire Straits remain an HMV constant whether its 1986 or 2021.

I guess it's descriptive of their economic state?

[thegeek]

Is the Parcelforce brand on the way out? I spotted our friendly local driver in a brand new Mercedes Sprinter with just a Royal Mail logo on it.

Their logo is basically a late 90s modification of the one that's been with us since 1990 and well overdue a change anyway.

This is their current Twitter avatar:


I think something is afoot...

[Pete]

Royal Mail are trying to make parcels more of a thing in general so maybe they think ditching the separate brand (which many may not realise is them) makes sense?