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"Now if you are like me and have a hard week slogging it away at work then what better way to effectively chill out when you get home but by watching a film, listening to some music or playing a game? Luckily HMV offers all of these products and I see it as my safety shop because everything in there is just so enjoyable you know you will be pleased with what you have bought.
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HMV:
The first HMV store was opened way back in 1921 on London's Oxford Street and since then it has opened hundreds of stores around the country. Now HMV has stores located all over the world including Ireland, USA, Germany and Singapore. The HMV slogan is 'top dog for music' but it should be 'top dog for everything' as the stores are extremely successful.
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HMV stores near me:
I work in Birmingham and we have 3 HMV stores here.
The first is located within the Pallisades shopping centre and is the smallest of the three. This store is open early so that early morning commuters can visit when they have just stepped off the train so is often very busy. Still the store maintains a clean and friendly feel throughout the day. Although this store is the smallest, you are almost guaranteed to find what you want and if you can't, staff are always happy to help.
The second is in the Bull ring shopping centre and is quite big. This store gets extremely busy but the aisles are wide so you can work your way around. You will find what you want 99.9% in this store as it is big and contains a lot of stock.
The third store by me is outside the Bull ring and is massive. This store boasts three floors and is by far the best of the bunch. You can always find what you like in this store.
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The stock:
HMV if you hadn't already guessed by now contains the following stock;
DVDs – stores boast a huge range of DVDs from the latest releases, to classic black and white films to world cinema. If there are 2 versions to be had for a DVD i.e. one disc and two disc then you can guarantee that HMV will sell them both in most cases. The other good thing that HMV has is exclusive sleeves on some DVDs so if you want to be a bit different then you could find it in here. Only today did I go and buy The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy from here and it has a sleeve that you cannot get in any other shop. It makes me feel special. Don't laugh. DVDs are placed in alphabetical order within sections such as film, TV, world cinema and children's.
CDs – any CD you want you are bound to get. All of the new CDs are located in the chart section and a vast range is available. CDs are in alphabetical order so are easy to find. The sections are separated into type of music so you have rock and pop, dance, classical and soundtracks etc…
Games consoles and games – Within the store you will be able to buy various games consoles so if you want your brand new Nintendo DS or Playstation Portable then head down to HMV. As they sell games consoles, they must sell games and again they boast a good selection to fit the consoles they sell. The newest games in the chart will be there plus some old favourites. They will most of the time have accessories like extra controllers and memory cards.
Books – although there is not a huge selection of books in any HMV store I have been to but they do sell them. Again they are quite randon titles as I have seen everything from 'the little book of chavs' to 'Lolita' so they have a variety. I would not use the store as a must go place to buy books though as the selection is very small.
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What is right with HMV?
HMV stores are very clean and very well laid out. The stock is easy to find and plentiful. Also aisle width is really good so access for people in wheelchairs and people with prams is fantastic and they can be mobile around the store which is more than I can say for some stores. Staff are generally very helpful and even if the item you want is not in stock then just a quick minute on their computer and they can order it for you. I wanted a film called Haunted about a year ago and could not find it anywhere. I visited HMV and a week later I had it and at a good price too.
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What is wrong with HMV?
To be totally honest, the prices they charge are a bit expensive. Do not get me wrong but when new DVDs are released it is definitely worth having a little look around to see if you can get it cheaper. Usually you can get a couple of pounds knocked off the price and every penny counts.
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What I think:
I have conveyed my feelings quite a bit above but my general opinion is that I love HMV even if it just to browse around. You walk into a store and you have great music playing and it just creates a fantastic atmosphere. Also the fact that you can find everything you want in one of these stores is great and I spend hours looking at all of the DVDs as you know I am a film buff.
The HMV sales are great with prices literally being cut in half and throughout the year the store will run 3 DVDs for £20 which is also worth having a look at as there are usually some very recent titles in there. I spend loads of money so have to limit my visits to one a week now. Seriously when I was working in the Bull ring I used to visit HMV nearly every day and spend some money in there.
The other thing I like about the HMV here in Birmingham is that a lot of special guests often show up. A few weeks ago Lee Ryan was signing autographs in the one outside the Bull ring and Girls Aloud were there not too long ago too. The queues are usually very long but if artists are doing a couple of songs then you can usually see and hear them by just standing outside.
HMV has and will always be renowned for the place to go in my eyes. If I cant find something in another shop, I always go to HMV and I cannot count how many bargains I have had from there as there has been that many. The only thing I will say though is do look around at prices for the new DVDs that are released as HMV are a it steep sometimes.
Generally a very pleasant and excellent store to visit.
;)
