HMV open new store in Dublin after near decade-long absence

A return to youth for those who spent many a Saturday flicking through vinyls and the giant poster racks.

Prolific music retailer HMV (His Master’s Voice) has officially reopened in Dublin after a seven year-long absence, under new ownership.

The new Henry Street location was originally scheduled to open mid-July, but lifted its shutters today (30th) and welcomed a sprawling queue of music fans to peruse three floors of vinyl, CDs and music technology.

HMV closed its last five remaining stores in Ireland in 2016 after it entered administration and went online only, with the website shutting down two years later. The decline of CD sales and the rise of music streaming majorly damaged the music retail industry.

However, Canadian businessman Doug Putman took over the company in 2019 and it has since seen a turnaround, pivoting to fan culture merchandise and providing live music spaces. A number of live in-store performances have already been scheduled for the new Henry Street store, as part of a “Live and Local” series.

 

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A post shared by The official Instagram of hmv Dublin Henry St (@hmvhenryst)

In a statement shared by RTÉ News Phil Halliday, HMV Managing Director of UK and Ireland acknowledged HMV’s rich history in Dublin and said the retailer was happy to be welcoming back Irish fans.

“We cannot wait to open our doors and welcome fans back. Our customers will notice our dedication to becoming the best music destination in town but will also find we’ve expanded our offering to a host of must-have ranges they won’t find anywhere else under one roof,” he said.

Header image via Instagram/HMV Henry Street 

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