HMV to open three new stores in Peterborough, Cork and The Hague

HMV said it will open three new stores before the end of the year, part of a planned expansion into Ireland and mainland Europe. The entertainment retailer will reopen a branch in Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre, open a third Republic of Ireland outlet at Cork’s Merchants Quay Shopping Centre, and launch its first store in the Netherlands in The Hague.

HMV’s managing director, Phil Halliday, said the openings follow years of negotiations and reflect strong public demand for the brand’s return to those cities. The Peterborough shop marks a return after a five-year absence, the company said. The Cork location will strengthen HMV’s presence in Ireland, where it already operates sites in Dublin and Limerick, and The Hague will be the firm’s first Dutch outlet.

The expansion is the latest phase of a broader recovery for HMV, which entered administration in 2019 and was subsequently bought by Canadian retailer Sunrise Records and entrepreneur Doug Putman in a deal that preserved around 100 stores. HMV now operates roughly 120 locations across the UK and has been steadily expanding into parts of Europe in recent years, the company said.

Company executives have pointed to...