The HMV store on Stall Street in Bath is to close, following the announcement that the collapsed music retailer has been bought out of administration by Canadian firm Sunrise Records.

Photo © Richard Wyatt / Bath Newseum
HMV, which operated over 120 stores across the UK, including 9 under the Fopp brand, employed approximately 2000 permanent staff.
Following the sale of the chain to Sunrise Records earlier this week, 100 stores will continue to trade and remain open, and 27 will be closing their doors for good.
The closure of these stores will result in 455 redundancies.
As well as Bath, branches across the local area that will permanently close include HMV at Cribbs Causeway and Fopp in Bristol.
Speaking about the brand when it went into administration in December, Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, 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 has been in addition to the ongoing pressures facing many high street retailers, including weakening consumer confidence, rising costs and business rates pressures.”
Sunrise Records’ chief executive Doug Putman said that he was “delighted to acquire the most iconic music and entertainment business in the UK.”
The 34-year-old Canadian bought the retail chain Sunrise Records in 2014, and expanded with the purchase of HMV’s Canadian business in 2017.
HMV was founded in 1921 and over 97 years, has sold a range of products including audio, books, CDs, DVDs, video games, as well as an increasing range of movie, television and music merchandise.
Following the purchase of the business, the HMV name is expected to be retained for the remaining stores.
There were fears for the store in Bath back in 2013, when HMV previously went into administration and was later bought by restructuring firm Hilco.