Kettering’s HMV safe from closure

Canadian firm Sunrise Records emerged as the firm’s buyers after HMV was placed into administration in December.

It was announced that 100 of the 127 stores would remain open, leading to some fears that the Newlands Centre branch would be shutting.

But today administrators KPMG revealed the 27 branches closing and neither Kettering’s or nearby Northampton’s are on the list.

The nearest branch closing is in Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre with the flagship HMV store in London’s Oxford Street also shutting up shop.

The full list of branches closing is: Ayr, Bath, Bluewater, Bristol Cribbs, Chichester, Exeter Princesshay, Fopp Bristol, Fopp Glasgow Byres, Fopp Manchester, Fopp Oxford, Glasgow Braehead, Guernsey, Hereford, Manchester, Trafford, Merry Hill, Oxford Street, Peterborough Queensgate, Plymouth Drake Circus, Reading, Sheffield Meadowhall, Southport, Thurrock, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge, Watford, Westfield London and Wimbledon.

The buyout has secured 1,487 jobs but there will be 455 redundancies.

In December, joint administrator Will Wright said: “For decades, HMV has been one of the most iconic names on the high street.

“Whilst we understand that it has continued to outperform the overall market decline in physical music and visual sales, as well as growing a profitable ecommerce business, the company has suffered from the ongoing wave of digital disruption sweeping across the entertainment industry.”

This isn’t the first time there have been fears about the future of Kettering’s HMV store.

In December 2013 it was announced it would close, only to be saved a few weeks later after a deal was reached.