HMV Boss Says More People Buying DVDs And Blu-ray In UK

Phil Halliday, managing director of HMV, said the retailer was in "good health" with all of its main product areas back in growth.

The HMV boss compared the uptick in DVD sales to people buying and collecting CDs and vinyl records. I Photo: Alex Liivet Wikimedia Commons

His comments come after the revival of the High Street stalwart, which was saved from administration in 2019, Michael Race reported for BBC News,

Halliday said that "physical visual" sales had increased, adding that "4K and Blu-Ray have been doing particularly well," but figures suggest sales across the industry are still declining.

"When streaming first came out I think a lot of people saw it as cheap and with huge breadth of choice, but I'm not sure people see it like that now," he said. "People are willing to pay for a physical copy of shows or films they know they will rewatch."

The HMV boss compared the uptick in DVD sales to people buying and collecting CDs and vinyl records.

A spokesman told the BBC its "visual category" was up 5% in the first half of 2024, "with growth driven in particular by high-definition formats."

Figures suggest DVD and Blu-Ray sales are still falling generally. Era, the digital entertainment and retail association, said DVD and Blu-Ray dropped by 4.7% in the first half of 2024.