Music and movies retail giant HMV is returning to Newry. The company which is under new ownership will reopen its store in The Quays Shopping Centre next week with the creation of 20 jobs. HMV closed its 16 Irish stores when the company went into receivership last January. However the company has since been acquired by restructuring and refinancing specialist Hilco. The Newry store will be the fifth HMV store that they have reopened in Ireland with the previous four being in Dublin and Limerick. Orla Jackson from Newry Chamber of Commerce said Hilco’s decision to choose Newry as the latest site for the relaunch of HMV was a massive vote of confidence in the city. “We are delighted to welcome HMV back to Newry and back to the Quays,” she said. “This is a very positive sign about the strength of the local economy that HMV would choose Newry as one of its earliest locations to reopen. We look forward to the jobs and the business this will bring to Newry city centre. Larry Howard CEO of Hilco Capital Ireland said he was also excited about the potential of the Newry store. “The public reaction to the return of HMV to Ireland has been overwhelming,” he said. “We are delighted to be expanding our presence in the Irish market with the opening of the Newry store. The relaunched HMV will place a greater emphasis on local, up and coming and live music with regular in store entertainment from established and rising acts planned from the Newry store. In the past month acts such as The Strypes, John Newman Biffy Clyro, Jerry Fish, Cathy Davy and Hidden Highways have performed in HMV’s Irish stores. HMV’s Website is also due to reopen in the coming days and will see the launch of new app that the company will hope rival Apple’s iTunes. HMV reopens in the Quays Shopping Centre in its previous premises on Friday October 25.
Newry Democrat
22nd of October 2013
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