HMV is pressing ahead with its bricks-and-mortar expansion, unveiling plans for three new stores in the UK and Europe before the end of the year.

The entertainment retailer will open in Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre, Cork’s Merchants Quay Shopping Centre, and The Hague, marking its first site in the Netherlands.

The move extends HMV’s European footprint to a third EU market after openings in Dublin and Limerick in Ireland, and two stores in Antwerp and Brussels in Belgium. The chain currently operates more than 100 shops across the UK and has been refitting sites with its ‘HMV Shop’ concept, which emphasises ranges spanning vinyl, CDs, film and TV across DVD, Blu-ray and 4K, as well as merchandise, books, turntables and headphones.

Phil Halliday, managing director at HMV and Fopp, said the retailer is responding to strong demand from fans and local communities. “We’re constantly striving to create new homes for communities of fans to come together and share their love of music and popular culture. That’s why we are so thrilled that, after five years of working on a deal, we are finally able to open a new store in Peterborough and meet the strong public demand,” Halliday said.

He added that the international push will continue. “We are also set to open our first store in The Netherlands and a third store in Ireland before the end of the year, in The Hague and Cork respectively. We plan to continue focusing on opening stores in Ireland and across mainland Europe as our main targets for expansion, where it currently makes more sense to do so from a business point of view.”

Detailing the offering for the Dutch market, HMV said The Hague will feature an extensive range of vinyl, films and box-sets on Blu-ray, alongside entertainment merchandise. “We’re planning to create a home for communities of fans to come together and share their love of music and popular culture… When we open we’ll aim to bring ranges that can’t be found anywhere else under one roof,” Halliday said. “We’re confident that we can bring something new to shoppers and hope that fans will share our excitement when we open our doors.”

The retailer also plans to host performances by emerging artists through its HMV Live&Local programme, strengthening ties with local scenes while driving footfall. With store launches timed for late in the year, HMV is positioning to capture holiday demand and the continued resurgence of physical formats such as vinyl, which the company says are a growing part of its business mix.

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