HMV CEO Simon Fox leaves after six years

To be commercially successful selling digital IP out of bricks and mortar retail is history. The costs incurred in doing so are just so vast. The world has changed and seeing this sort of retailer on the high street is like finding a dinosaur footprint. Interesting, but of little real relevance.

Posted:10 months ago

You're largely correct Bruce, but that rule does not apply to all. Are Gamestop not still making profit year-on-year despite ups and downs in the industry?

Posted:10 months ago

Ive been disappointed by HMV. With Game going bust, there's only two places selling new video-games in Sheffield - an independent shop, and HMV. HMV could really have gone to town, broadening their selection of games, especially PC games, which the indie has mostly stopped selling. But what have they done? Nothing. I wouldn't be surprised to walk in there in 6 months time to find them just selling hardware.

Posted:10 months ago

@Terence Gage

Gamestop are largely a secondhand shop, so their competitor is eBay.
They have a very sophisticated secondhand business model that encompasses mobile phones, gaming hardware, software and anything else that is a fit for their customer base. http://www.gamestop.com/collection/trade-in
This trade in is vastly more convenient for a customer than using eBay. They can walk in with their old PSP and a few games and walk out with a Nexus 7. This is a very compelling offering. And it is something that Game in the UK failed to emulate sufficiently.

With bricks and mortar there is the need to provide customers with a reason to be there, Gamestop have succeeded in coming up with a business plan that does this.

Posted:10 months ago

@ Bruce

Indeed. It's why I didn't mention the CEX opposite HMV in Sheffield. Different business plans, different customers.

Posted:10 months ago