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HMV Social Media Cafe

Posted by Faye Oakey on 16th Aug 2012 in ALL, Entertainment, Technology | 2 comments

Entertainment retailer HMV will open it’s first ‘social media cafe’ in Cambridge on Saturday with high hopes of bringing the ailing retailer into the new, social media savvy era. The move will allow shoppers to browse the internet while enjoying a coffee, and is in retaliation to customers favoring online over high street shopping.

The cafe will have WiFi and phone charging points (how we have all hoped for those when searching a crowded McDonalds/Starbucks for a free power socket), as well as a ‘high profile’ technology department and a ‘click and collect’ option. Other features include a community blackboard, where customers can post messages and flyers, signings by musicians (such as X Factor singer Aiden Grimshaw) and in my opinion, best of all, a dedicated area to host live music performances and local exhibitions.

Only time will tell if this is a move in the right direction, but I do think a music and technology retailer like HMV should be wholeheartedly embracing social media, I enjoy coffee shops in book stores, so why not in entertainment stores too? Creating an in store entertainment experience should entice customers from behind their computer screens. If anything, it should increase footfall to the store (even if only to emergency recharge your phone).

“As the company continues with the transformation of its retail offer in response to the changing way that people now discover and enjoy entertainment content, HMV is increasingly developing a fully-fledged multi-channel offer across its combined store, online and digital estate,” a HMV spokesman said to The Telegraph.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Posted by: Faye Oakey

Faye Oakey is a 2nd year PR student at Leeds Metropolitan University, who reads and contributes to PRexamples.com to expand her knowledge of the industry and keep up to date with current trends. Faye's most notable PR experience is working as 'Curator of Good Noise' or officially 'Account Executive' at creative youth agency Two Birds One Stone for the majority of academic year 2011/12. She also has work experience in-house at Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds Bradford International Airport and Voodoo Events.

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Leo Fedorcio

I hope this is a success, it will be a big step forward. Like you say though, only time will tell!
Adam Burns

I miss going to Borders and taking an hour to have a quiet read or flick through emails, so hopefully HMV can bring some of this back to the high street. it will be interesting to see how they use social media to drive footfall, they certainly have a reasonably unique offering with the calibre of bands they could attract.
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