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HMV to Close Oxford Street Store 3 Years After Reopening
HMV said the store became commercially unsustainable after rent demands doubled and it plans to transfer affected staff while seeking a new West End site.
- On Monday, October 12, 2026, retailer HMV announced it will vacate its flagship Oxford Street store in March 2027, impacting just over 50 workers at the historic location.
- Landlords proposed doubling the rent at 363 Oxford Street, while HMV Managing Director Phil Halliday stated that "substantial" renovation works combined to render the site "commercially unsustainable."
- Despite the closure, HMV reported a 15% uptick in like-for-like sales across its 123 UK stores in the first nine months of 2026, with revenues set to reach over £240 million.
- The company is actively searching for a new location in London's West End to maintain a "significant presence" in the capital, while planning to redeploy affected team members.
- This closure marks the end of a brief three-year return; Canadian owner Doug Putman rescued the historic site from insolvency in November 2023 following its 2019 administration.
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HMV shuts flagship Oxford Street store just three years after comeback
HMV is set to close its flagship Oxford Street store just three years after its comeback to the location where it was founded more than a century ago. The music and entertainment retailer said the site will shut its doors in March next year, blaming a doubled rent bill and the cost of “substantial” renovations. [...]
·London, United Kingdom
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)HMV forced to close flagship Oxford Street store due to soaring rent
Entertaiment retailer is searching for a new location in London’s West End
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 27%
C 55%
R 18%
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