Four HMV stores are set to open in Ireland at the beginning of next month as the music retailer's new owner, Hilco, seeks to relaunch the brand.
The company is hoping to reopen its stores at Dundrum Town Centre, Liffey Valley shopping centre, Henry Street, all Dublin, and in Limerick’s Crescent shopping centre.
Excel Recruitment oversaw the filling of the 120 HMV vacancies, 17 of which were for management. More than 7,000 applications had been received for the full and part-time positions.
“It was great to get people who were so interested in it,” managing director Barry Whelan said, adding that many of those hired were former HMV staff.
The staff will be working to prepare the four stores for a “soft launch” which HMV is hoping will take place during the first week of September.
“We don’t know how long it will take because there are some variables, such as stock availability,” Mr Whelan added. He said the reopenings would be well timed to take advantage of Christmas shoppers, a “big proportion” of HMV’s business.
As of yet there were no plans to reopen the former flagship store on Grafton Street, Dublin. Even if the company did return to one of Ireland's main pedestrian shopping streets, it is unlikely to be at the same location. Last month it was announced that Massimo Dutti, a sister brand of Zara, will rent the unit, which has more than 1,000 sq m of retail space.
Sixteen HMV stores in the Republic were closed last February and 300 staff were made redundant after the company’s receiver Deloitte said the business was not viable.
Hilco subsequently bought HMV’s retail outlets in Ireland and Britain. In June the company announced that Excel recruitment has been appointed to recruit 100 employees for full- and and part-time positions at the four stores.
HMV’s new product offering is also expected to be innovative. “There’s going to be some changes,” Mr Whelan said, adding that a greater focus on theatre and local artists was likely.
In June Hilco also said it was buying DVD rental chain Xtravision out of receivership.
