HMV Share Discussion Threads

[totally banjo] 02/1/2013 11:01

Digital sales break £1bn barrier

More than £1bn was spent on downloaded films, music and games in 2012, the highest annual total.

Sales increased 11.4% from 2011, meaning that a quarter of the entertainment market is now digital.

But figures released later by entertainment retailers will also show a big drop in physical sales - more bad news for high street shops.

Sales of CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray and video games fell by 17.6% in 2011 although they still make up most of the market.

Kim Bayley, director general of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), which will release the figures, said that breaking the £1bn barrier was an "incredible achievement" for retailers.

"This reflects their huge investment in new and innovative services - which means you can buy music, video and games literally at any time of the day and wherever you are.

"At the same time I suspect that many people will be surprised to learn just how resilient the physical business still is - with three-quarters of entertainment sales still on disc.

"Downloads offer convenience and portability, but people still seem to value the quality and tangibility of a physical product."

More than half of the digital sales went on video games, which grew 8% to £552m.

Films and music had a smaller share of the digital market but sharper growth - downloaded films up by 20% and music by 15%.

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said: "The entertainment industry has been struggling to adapt to the digital age.

"And while consumers are now paying for downloads, that's not making up for the rapid fall in high street sales."

Sales of video games in shops were particularly badly hit, with retailers blaming a lack of compelling new titles, he added.

[graham2405] 02/1/2013 09:01

"A source said: 'There is a feeling among the banks that they have come this far, so let's see it through.'"

HMVs business model is in terminal decline, the equity is already worthless (@ -32p per share), but there are punters who will pay 1.82p for your shares.

Personally, I'd bite their hand off.

[totally banjo] 01/1/2013 17:18

Black Sabbath top the vintage t-shirt charts

Anthony Barnes
Monday 31 December 2012


Veteran rockers Black Sabbath have topped the charts thanks to sales of their best-selling vintage T-shirt.


The band - fronted by Ozzy Osbourne - landed the most popular classic rock shirt, thanks to the enduring appeal for music fans of wearing their hearts on their chests.

Their US tour shirt from 1978 has been helped by a sales surge after it was worn by Robert Downey Jr - who plays Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark - in hit movie Avengers Assemble.

Vintage rock shirts have proved an enduring fashion item for teenagers who were born long after many of the bands split, as well as models and young pop acts who want to add a little more cred.

Retailer HMV has compiled a list of its best-selling classic rock shirts with Sabbath at number one, while Led Zeppelin take the second and third spots. The Beatles make it to number nine in the list with a shirt featuring their 45-year-old album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said classic rock shirts have continued to have an enduring appeal: "More often than not, rock T-shirts used to be something you'd wear to gigs to see your favourite bands, but over time demand has broadened and they've since become a bit of a fashion-statement in their own right.

"Some performers can quickly come and go with the trends, but one genre that has an enduring appeal and seems to remain eternally popular with fans is classic rock and metal."

Young chart sensations One Direction are unsurprisingly the top-selling shirt but vintage acts accounted for a large number of even the overall best-sellers. Some acts have seen their shirts become cool, despite never being particularly fashionable in their heyday, such as Black Sabbath.

Mr Castaldo said: "This year over half the top 30 best-selling T-shirts at HMV were made up of vintage artists and, even though many of them have not been active with new material, they continue to sell in large quantities as many of these acts are revered, and with that comes a level of cool-ness and style that money or promotion can't always buy.

"Along with the baby-boomers who grew up with their music, a new generation of fans are increasingly into them as well, in part out of a recognition that many of the featured T-shirt images now rank as design classics that not only look great but have a real authenticity about them."

HMV's top 10 best-selling classic rock T-shirts for 2012:

1. Black Sabbath - US Tour 78

2. Led Zeppelin - USA 77

3. Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day

4. David Bowie - Smoking

5. Bruce Springsteen - Sand Tour

5. Foo Fighters - Gold logo

6. AC/DC - Angus And Brian

7. Metallica - Skull Explosion

8. Rolling Stones - Union Jack Tongue

9. Beatles - Sgt Pepper

10. Guns N'Roses - Appetite For Destruction

[zcaprd7] 01/1/2013 17:17

A source said: 'There is a feeling among the banks that they have come this far, so let's see it through.'

[totally banjo] 31/12/2012 14:26

"graham2405
31 Dec'12 - 13:34 - 2525 of 2526 0 0
(premium)



gja

"keeps us fully up to date on what is happening at HMV."

Why not just cut out the middle man and google HMV, then select news.

Easy.......

These are supposed to be discussion forums, aren't they?"


"discussion forums"-lolloping lolz

[graham2405] 31/12/2012 13:34

gja

"keeps us fully up to date on what is happening at HMV."

Why not just cut out the middle man and google HMV, then select news.

Easy.......

These are supposed to be discussion forums, aren't they?

[g.j.a] 31/12/2012 12:42

@graham re banjo...................... and isnt it interesting reading - keeps us fully up to date on what is happening at HMV. ~Thank you banjo and HNY

[graham2405] 31/12/2012 12:23

"General 'Games' news:"

Banjo, posting marketing material again...........

[totally banjo] 31/12/2012 12:10

General 'Games' news:

Far Cry 3 claims 2012's last All Formats No.1
by Ben Parfitt
about 2 hours ago



Ubisoft has finished 2012 on a high after claiming a double win in the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40.

Continued price activity on shooter Far Cry 3 sees the critically applauded title claim No.1, knocking Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 off the top for the first time since its release.

It's Ubisoft's first Week 52 No.1 since Assassin's Creed in 2007.

Ubisoft also has more Top Ten games this week than any other publisher with Just Dance 4 in sixth and Assassin's Creed III in eighth.

Here's the the final UK Top 20 of 2012 in full:

1. Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft)
2. FIFA 13 (EA)
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Activision)
4. Hitman Absolution (Square Enix)
5. Need for Speed Most Wanted (EA)
6. Just Dance 4 (Ubisoft)
7. Halo 4 (Microsoft)
8. Assassin's Creed III (Ubisoft)
9. LEGO Lord of the Rings (Warner Bros)
10. Forza Horizon (Microsoft)
11. WWE '13 (THQ)
12. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
13. Football Manager 2013 (Sega)
14. Dishonored (Bethesda)
15. Medal of Honor: Warfighter (EA)
16. Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed (Sega)
17. Skylanders Giants (Activision)
18. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Warner Bros)
19. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Disney)
20. Forza Motorsport 4 (Microsoft)

[totally banjo] 31/12/2012 11:09

graham2405,posting across all the BB's again,I see.

[graham2405] 31/12/2012 09:43

'Universal liable for £150m'........?

They are known as lease liabilities (or operating lease commitments).

When you sign the lease on business premises you are confirming that you will pay the rent for the full term of the lease. So a 10 year lease and you are liable for ten years rent.

The total figure for HMV at the last report was........a staggering £496m.

Known as operating lease commitments the figure is on the top of page 87.

Clearly as the former owner of HMV, Universal (EMI) would have signed these some of these leases, it is 'possible' that they retain the liability, and the article suggests that this is the case.

This £496m is the reason why closing stores is very expensive, hence most failing retailers end in a prepack, when the unwanted leases are terminated as part of the administration process.

A part of HMVs current debt has no doubt come about with regard to the store closures made to date. Although some have been closed as the leases expire. To rapidly close stores would not be a viable proposition given these costs.

Hence HMV is stuck between a rock and a hard place.......

All IMHO, DYOR and read the Annual Report.

[graham2405] 31/12/2012 09:40

"I do not quite understand how Universal would be liable for £150mln in rents on just 40 shops should HMV go into administration."

They are known as lease liabilities (or operating lease commitments).

When you sign the lease on business premises you are confirming that you will pay the rent for the full term of the lease. So a 10 year lease and you are liable for ten years rent.

The total figure for HMV at the last report was........a staggering £496m.

Known as operating lease commitments the figure is on the top of page 87.

Clearly as the former owner of HMV, Universal (EMI) would have signed some of these leases, it is 'possible' that they retain the liability, and the article suggests that this is the case.

This £496m is the reason why closing stores is very expensive, hence most failing retailers end in a prepack, when the unwanted leases are terminated as part of the administration process.

A part of HMVs current debt has no doubt come about with regard to the store closures made to date. Although some have been closed as the leases expire. To rapidly close stores would not be a viable proposition given these costs.

Hence HMV is stuck between a rock and a hard place.......

All IMHO, DYOR and read the Annual Report.

[totally banjo] 29/12/2012 23:07

Lenders in debt battle as they plan HMV revival


By Neil Craven, Financial Mail On Sunday
PUBLISHED:22:22, 29 December 2012| UPDATED:22:22, 29 December 2012

HMV's lenders plan to block efforts by turnaround fund Apollo to buy the firm's debt as they plot a revival of its fortunes.

Music industry sources said Apollo Global Management had been planning to buy the retailer's debt, which would give it control of HMV.


Apollo has already acquired ten per cent of the debt and must now negotiate with about six banks.



However, the lenders are understood to be reluctant to sell their loans too cheaply and are still hopeful that HMV can survive without a takeover.

A source said: 'There is a feeling among the banks that they have come this far, so let's see it through.'


Financial Mail reported in June that restructuring firms were looking to take over the debt as a cheap way of gaining control of HMV. Its stock market value is only £8.6million and the debts are £176million.

The restructuring firms believe they can overhaul HMV more efficiently off the stock market.

That could mean closing unprofitable stores and making deals with landlords over leases. Next month, HMV faces crunch talks with banks.

It warned just before Christmas that it could miss looming financial targets.

[loganair] 29/12/2012 11:17

Among the 13m-plus shopaholics who shelled out an estimated £5.4billion in two frenzied days of post-Christmas trading, there were those who must have been desperate to cash in their HMV gift tokens, fearing the 91-year-old music chain could be the next iconic high street name to bite the dust.

Shares of the company edged up 0.18p or 9 per cent to 2p on bear closing and hopes the debt-ridden retailer will survive administration.

New chief executive Trevor Moore recently warned that there is 'material uncertainty' about its future because of a likely breach of banking covenants in January.

HMV, which has 238 UK shops, is in crucial talks about a deal with a syndicate of eight banks that hold the company's £220million of debt.

But it appears HMV's future will be decided by the owners of its debt, which include American vulture fund Apollo Global Management, which owns 10 per cent of its loans.

Still struggling, the chain was badly hit by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as many suppliers chose to hold off high-visibility product launches until after the Games concluded.

HMV has therefore been relying on promotional offers to keep things ticking over. Philip Dorgan, analyst at Panmure Gordon, says: 'It is difficult to ascribe any equity value, given the material uncertainties. HMV has a lot of support from its various stakeholders, but its markets are extremely tough.'

[zcaprd7] 28/12/2012 20:45

Looks like they will struggle on...

[lady liz] 28/12/2012 20:10

Well banjo, I got it right about the share price being due for a rise when I last posted at the end of November only too see the H1 results cause the drop backwards. These last couple of days we have seen a return to the upward trend,and with a little good news on the sales front this should at the very least return to the 4p levels without stopping to catch its breath.

I hope the New Year brings better news for you and HMV.

Better long again but DYOR no advice intended.

[lady liz] 28/12/2012 20:10

Well banjo, I got it right about the share price being due for a rise when I last posted at the end of November only too see the H1 results cause the drop backwards. These last couple of days we have seen a return to the upward trend,and with a little good news on the sales front this should at the very least return to the 4p levels without stopping to catch its breath.

I hope the New Year brings better news for you and HMV.

Better long again but DYOR no advice intended.

[totally banjo] 28/12/2012 15:07

HMV sells its one millionth copy of Adele's '21′

MUSIC and entertainment retailer, HMV, reports that it sold its one millionth copy of Adele's 21 during the Christmas sales period.

The acclaimed album has now sold a staggering 25million-plus copies worldwide, with over 4.5million of these coming in the UK alone, where the album continues to sell thousands of copies a week. Amazingly, despite having been released as far back as January 2011, 21 still generated over 778,000 unit sales this year, making it the country's second biggest-selling album of 2012, with only Emeli Sandé's Our Version of Events proving more popular among the music-buying public.

As recently reported by Music Industry publication, Music Week, 21 is now on the verge of overtaking Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory? to become the UK's fourth best-selling album of all time, behind Queen's Greatest Hits, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abba's Gold: Greatest Hits.

HMV's achievement means that nearly one in every four copies of Adele's 21 purchased in the UK over the past two years has been through its chain of stores or its hmv.com and hmvdigital sites – more than any other retailer, including online and digital only outlets.

HMV New Release & Chart Manager, John Hirst, comments: "It's incredible to think that even with relatively little promotion this year, 21 continues to sell as well as it does, though obviously it will have been boosted by the release of Skyfall in recent weeks. The album has become a classic that a lot of people clearly feel they should have in their record collection, and at this rate it's going to be among the best sellers in 2013 as well. We reached our one million landmark just ahead of Christmas Eve, and although we don't know precisely where it was purchased, it's highly likely it will have been a Christmas gift for someone."

Ends