WORCESTER’S HMV store has launched an appeal for local buskers to hit the high notes outside their store to ‘celebrate’ it staying open.
The High Street store has been under threat of closure since May in a row over the terms of its lease for the building and ‘Store Closing, Everything Must Go’ signs have been in the windows of the branch throughout the summer.
But in an apparent sign the store will remain at the heart of the city @hmvWorcester tweeted: “Calling all buskers! Fancy playing right outside your local hmv? We want the city to know we are staying open and need your help to shout about it on Saturday, September 7. We can also sell your CDs for you inside the shop.”
If confirmed it would be the latest twist in a saga which saw the store saved in February after the retailer was bought out of administration by Sunrise Records.
Staff at the High Steet store faced an anxious wait after it was announced 27 of the music chain’s unprofitable stores would close immediately resulting in 455 redundancies.
But the Worcester store was not among the casualties unlike high profile outlets at Merry Hill (which later re-opened), Bluewater and Westfield London and the retailer’s first ever shop on Oxford Street in London.
Canadian company Sunrise Records took on HMV’s remaining 100 stores, safeguarding almost 1,500 jobs.
The first ever HMV store was opened by Worcestershire’s favourite son Edward Elgar who enjoyed a long association with the music store chain.
HMV has been approached for a comment.
More follows…
