It was great to hear last week that part of the HMV retail empire has been rescued by the company that own HMV Canada. Here is some advice for them – I hope they read it. I am a huge music fan, and still buy c.d.’s and even would buy vinyl records if they were readily available. I’m in my 50’s, and I know a lot of people in their 50’s and 60’s, and probably 70’s who would go back to buying their music from a store if the following were all available:
- Friendly, knowledgeable employees, who would be able to advise on the latest releases in specialist areas such as jazz, blues,folk, Americana and classical music
- Well-stocked stores where we could spend hours listening to music before we buy it
- Information on where we can see music live with concert tickets also available to purchase
- Specialist music publications and books of all varieties
- Somewhere for the trendy ones amongst us to download music to our mobile devices easily and affordably
- Hi-fi equipment and even record players on sale, making it a real one-stop shop for the music lover
- An in-store coffee shop (Caffe Nero, if I had a choice, because I love their coffee and their service!)
- Most importantly, great customer service, with people who are passionate about music and also know how to deliver a great customer experience
There are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of us in middle and late middle-age who would, I am sure, flock to these wonderful stores, if they were created. I love some new music, but music isn’t all about young people, and there are many older people who have more disposable income these days. If I had an HMV store like this in my home city I would be there at least once a month! What would you like to see in the music store of the future?