HMV announces social media café and free WiFi plans

MUSIC SHOP HMV has announced plans to launch its own social media café in a bid to turn around its fortunes.

Speaking to The INQUIRER, an HMV spokesperson detailed the company's plans to open its first social media café in Cambridge, a place where shoppers can charge their smartphones and browse the web while sipping a coffee made by an HMV barrista.

HMV told us that while it doesn't have plans to bring similar cafés to its existing stores, it will be bringing free WiFi connectivity to all of its shops across the UK.

Mike Barry, manager at HMV Cambridge said, "It's great to be re-opening in such a fabulous location and with a store that offers so many exciting new features.

"The whole team here are really looking forward to welcoming back our regular customers as well as new visitors, who we hope will particularly like the expanded technology department and our HMV café with free WiFi."

In a bid to stretch itself beyond the stuggling album and DVD markets, HMV's café will also feature a new technology department. Here, the firm will rely on devices such as the Apple Ipad and the Google Nexus 7, as well as its own technology experts, to turn around its fortunes.

Just last week, HMV revealed that sales had fallen below £1bn for the first time since it went public in 2002, as users continue to swing towards digital downloads.

HMV's social media café will open in Cambridge on Saturday 18 August. µ