HMV Rescue Deal

5 April 2013, 12:25 | Updated: 5 April 2013, 12:33

A future looks like it's been secured for 141 HMV stores, including those in Northampton and Milton Keynes.

They've been bought by a restructuring firm in a deal that should save 2,500 jobs.

Several store closures announced in February 2013 will still happen though, meaning places like Luton, St Albans, Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Wellingborough will lose their HMV stores.

Hilco, which already owns HMV Canada, has bought the high street chain from administrator Deloitte, reportedly paying £50 million for the DVD and CD retailer.

The company, which is also in talks about re-establishing the chain in Ireland, has negotiated revised terms with landlords and the key suppliers to the business.

HMV had 223 stores across the UK, employing 4,123 staff, when weak consumer spending and intense competition from the internet and supermarkets forced it into administration in January 2013.

Shortly after being appointed, Deloitte announced 66 stores closures with 900 job cuts.

HMV, known for its Nipper the dog logo, was one the high street's biggest casualties and followed the failures of camera chain Jessops and electricals retailer Comet.

Hilco bought HMV's £176 million of debt for a reported £40 million, putting it pole position to acquire the group.

Hilco chief executive Paul McGowan said the group spent weeks discussing fresh terms with landlords and suppliers, which all supported its plans to keep the chain on the high street. The long-awaited deal includes nine Fopp stores.

Hilco plans to replicate some of the success it has had with HMV in Canada, which it bought almost two years ago and is now "trading strongly''.

Mr McGowan said: "The structural differences in the markets and the higher level of competition in the UK will prove additional challenges for the UK business but we believe it has a successful future ahead of it.''

The HMV UK business will be led by a team working alongside existing management. Ian Topping, former chief executive of Harveys and Cargo furniture stores group Steinhoff, will lead the Hilco team. Mr McGowan will be chairman of HMV.

Hilco will reverse plans to sell tablets and other devices in stores and "reclaim the space for an enhanced music and visual range''.

Mr Topping said: "The reaction of the British public to the administration of HMV shows a strong desire for the business to continue to trade and we hope to play a constructive part in delivering that.''

Stores bought as part of the rescue deal

Aberdeen, Ayr, Banbury, Bangor (Wales), Basildon, Basingstoke, Bath, Belfast Donegall Arcade, Birmingham Bullring, Blackpool, Bluewater, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton Churchill, Bristol Broadmead, Bristol Cribbs, Bromley, Bury, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Canary Wharf, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chichester, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Cwmbran, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dundee, East Kilbride, Eastbourne, Edinburgh Fort Retail, Edinburgh Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh Princes Street, Exeter, FOPP Bristol, FOPP Cambridge, FOPP Covent Garden, FOPP Edinburgh, FOPP Glasgow Byres Road, FOPP Glasgow Union Street, FOPP Gower Street London, FOPP Manchester, FOPP Nottingham, Gateshead, Glasgow Argyle, Glasgow Buchanan, Glasgow Fort, Gloucester, Grimsby, Guernsey, Guildford, Hanley, Harlow, Harrogate, Hastings, Hatfield, Hereford, High Wycombe, Horsham, Hull, Inverness, Ipswich, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Islington, Jersey, Kettering, Kings Lynn, Kingston, Leamington Spa, Leeds Headrow, Leeds White Rose, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool One, Livingston, Llandudno, Maidstone, Manchester 90 Market Street, Manchester Trafford, Mansfield, Merry Hill, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Newport (Wales), Northampton, Norwich Gentlemans Walk, Norwich Chapelfield, Nottingham Victoria, Nuneaton, Oxford, Oxford Circus, Peterborough Queensgate, Plymouth Drake Circus, Poole, Portsmouth Commercial Road, Portsmouth Gun Wharf Quay, Preston, Reading Oracle, Romford, Selfridges Oxford Street, Sheffield High Street, Sheffield Meadowhall, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Southampton, Southend Victoria, Southport, Speke Park, Staines, Stevenage, Stirling, Stockport, Stratford upon Avon, Stratford City Westfield, Sunderland, Sutton, Swansea, Taunton, Thanet, Thurrock, Truro, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge, Westfield London, Wimbledon, Winchester, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Yeovil, York.

Store closures previously announced on 20 February 2013

Ashford, Basildon, Bolton, Cheltenham, East Kilbride, Enfield, Folkestone, Glasgow Argyle, Gloucester, Grimsby, Hatfield Galleria, Heathrow Terminal 5 - Departure Level, Heathrow Terminal 1, Heathrow Terminal 3, Heathrow Terminal 4, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Isle of Wight, Lancaster, Leadenhall, Mansfield, Middlesbrough, Newbury, Newcastle Silverlink, Newport, Nuneaton, Redditch, Salisbury, Scarborough, Southport, Stafford, Staines, Stockport, Swindon, Taunton, Torquay and Woking.

Store closures previously announced on 7 February 2013

Ashton-under-Lyne, Ballymena, Barnsley, Bayswater, Belfast Boucher Road, Belfast Forestside, Bexleyheath, Birkenhead, Birmingham Fort, Blackburn, Boston, Bournemouth Castlepoint, Bracknell, Burton-upon-Trent, Camberley, Chesterfield, Coleraine, Craigavon, Croydon Centrale, Derry, Dumfries, Durham, Edinburgh Fort, Edinburgh Gyle Centre, Edinburgh Ocean, Edinburgh Princes Street, Edinburgh St James, Falkirk, Fulham, Glasgow – Fort, Glasgow – Silverburn, Glasgow Braehead, Huddersfield, Kirkcaldy, Leamington Spa, Leeds White Rose, Lisburn, Loughborough, Luton, Manchester 90, Moorgate, Newry, Newtonabbey, Orpington, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, South Shields, Speke Park, St Albans, St Helens, Stockton-on-Tees, Tamworth, Teesside, Telford, Trocadero, Wakefield, Walsall, Walton-on-Thames, Wandsworth, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wood Green, Workington, Wrexham