Retail giant to reopen in Harrogate next week in good news for music fans

The Harrogate shop will reopen its doors for the first time since March next Monday, June 15 with a series of measures to ensure it is COVID-secure for shoppers in full compliance with Government guidelines - plus it will have a redesigned layout.

Hand sanitiser stations will be made available to all customers inside its store at Victoria Shopping Centre, who will be required to apply it before handling merchandise in the store to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

HMV has also put in place a number of additional measures to assist with the reopening, making it easier for customers to ensure they can shop safely and efficiently, including a “personal shopper” service and a ring and reserve service.

The new “hmv List and Leave” service will enable customers to drop off a list of the items they wish to purchase (whether Blu-ray or DVDs, vinyl, CDs, books or merchandise) and a member of the hmv team will select the items from the shelves and have goods collected, packed and ready for collection.

The “hmv Ring and Reserve” service that will follow shortly after reopening the stores will allow customers to call their local store to reserve in-stock items to be paid for and picked up later that day. The hmv and Fopp team members will also suggest recommendations based on customers’ tastes to make for a truly tailored experience.

Doug Putman, owner of HMV said: “Our teams have been working on plans to reopen since the day we had to close our doors.

"We’ve redesigned our store layouts so that customers can make their way through the stores, buy what they want and pay seamlessly, while maintaining spaces for those who want to browse while maintaining social distancing.

“We’ve sought to keepas much of what people love about the hmv and Fopp experience intact and build on the experience whilst ensuring that customers can shop with us comfortably and confidently.”

In line with other high street retailers, staff across the business have undertaken training in how to maintain social distancing for customers while they are in the store, as well as instruction on hygiene, the use of PPE equipment and till processes that will shorten queues and make for a more efficient in-store experience. Till screens and social distancing signage have been installed across the whole estate.

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The leading music retailer already offers a ‘Click and Collect’ service across all of its stores for those who want to select and pay for their items online and pick-up at their local store. Customers can pay online, select a store to collect from and will receive an email when their goods are ready for collection.

Any undamaged returned items (where customers have ordered in error for example) will be quarantined for 72 hours before being they are returned to the shop floor.

Stuart Smith, manager at the hmv Vault in Birmingham, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming our customers back into stores,

"We’ve been through intensive training over the last few weeks to ensure that staff members are fully supported in returning to stores and that customers have the best possible experience.

"What’s more, with personal shopping through hmv List and Leave and hmv Ring and Reserve, we think customers will find that in many ways their experience is enhanced when they visit us next.”

In addition, HMV has put in place a number of measures which include:

Social distancing measures throughout each store, with clear two-metre floor markings

Personalised service with a limit on the number of customers in-store at any one time

Appropriate PPE equipment will be made available for all colleagues in line with government guidelines

Screens at all open service areas

Enhanced cleaning processes across stores

In total 93 with a redesigned layout and Fopp stores across England and Northern Ireland are confirmed to reopen on June 15 with the remaining 15 stores across Scotland and Wales due to reopen pending further guidance.

'We have had to adapt' says Harrogate shop owner as it prepares to reopen

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