Music retailer HMV Group is to step into fashion by selling a number of clothing brands in its UK stores from next month.
The chain, which primarily sells CDs and DVDs, will launch fashion brands including Boxfresh, Lee Jeans, FLY53, Rocawear and Eastpak from 1 September.
The music-driven ranges, including men’s tops, t-shirts, shirts, jackets and jeans, will go into 38 larger HMV stores, including in London’s Oxford Street, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin. They will be displayed in dedicated instore departments branded The Studio.
Smaller HMV stores will stock a more limited selection of t-shirts “to ensure that the majority of HMV’s 280 stores have some kind of fashion offer”, a company statement said.
The retailer already stocks licensed merchandise, such as artist t-shirts supplied by manufacturer Bravado, and the new lines are intended to street fashion inspired by bands and music artists. HMV said it is primarily targeting a younger, ‘festival chic’ market.
HMV fashion manager, Richard Stockwell, said: “Music and fashion can be a perfect fit for HMV, not least because they overlap and influence each other so strongly these days. And, of course, we now also own a number of music venues and festivals in addition to our stores, so our brand is even more uniquely placed to create a compelling retail offer to our customers and a cool environment for them to shop in. Now they can check out and buy the latest street fashions at the same time they come in to make their music and entertainment purchases.”
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By GlobalDataSeperately, it was announced earlier this week that HMV Group chairman Robert Swannell is to replace Sir Stuart Rose as Marks and Spencer’s new chairman.
