HMV set to return to Edinburgh’s Princes Street with new flagship store six years after closing

If you thought the vinyl revival was just another nostalgic fad, then look away now. HMV is set for a historic return to Edinburgh’s Princes Street nearly six years after the flagship store’s closure – and the new focus will be on vinyl.

Spanning three storeys with 8,645 sq ft and more than 20,000 different products to browse, it will serve as a great new destination for all fans of music, film and pop culture.

HMV Princes Street opens on Friday, March 18, with 4,800 different vinyl albums available for purchase.

In addition, the store will stock 5,800 films and TV shows on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray and DVD, 4,500 different CDs, as well as over 2,000 pop culture products including 450 different T-shirt designs.

Entertainment retailer HMV is set to return to Princes Street in Edinburgh with a three-storey store, creating 20 new jobs.

The new HMV shop will also create 20 new jobs in the Edinburgh area.

Edinburgh shoppers will be able to use the “HMV delivers” service, which allows customers to order any items not in store to be delivered direct to their door.

HMV’s expansion comes as the popularity of vinyl continues to grow, with music fans keen for physical albums that preserve the album experience as the artist intended it to be heard.

The new store – the 13th HMV or Fopp store in Scotland – is expected to draw signings and performances from both huge international artists and grassroots local bands.

Paul Clunie, Store Manager, said: “When HMV closed on Princes Street in 2016 many of our shoppers missed out on a shopping experience that only HMV can provide, with the chance to discover new music and film and browse for something to complete their collections.

“We’re thrilled to be back in the heart of Edinburgh, and we can’t wait to open our doors next month to welcome our customers with fantastic offers.”

Phil Halliday, HMV managing director, said: “The opening of our new Princes Street shop demonstrates the incredible turnaround of the HMV business, and shows that fans of music, film and pop culture are keener than ever to get their hands on physical product.

“Nothing beats discovering new films and music by browsing in a store filled with expert, knowledgeable staff – it’s something that streaming can’t replace."

He added: HMV has a long history of offering signings and performances from amazing artists and bands, and we’re looking forward to bringing some incredible fan events to Edinburgh soon.”

The HMV shop in Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre in Leith also continues to trade.

The return of HMV’s Princes Street store comes as sales of vinyl records in the UK continue to soar.

Last year, albums by Adele, Abba and Ed Sheeran helped vinyl sales in the UK top five million for the first time since 1991.

Almost a quarter of the albums bought laat year (23%) were on vinyl, with Abba's Voyage the biggest-seller.

It marked the format's 14th consecutive year of growth, with sales up by 8% on 2020.

Sales of CDs, meanwhile, continued to fall. Just 14 million discs were bought last year – the lowest figure since 1988.

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