Entertainment retailer HMV opened around 150 of its high street stores at 07:00 GMT this morning to allow eager shoppers to get their hands on the latest Harry Potter DVD release.
Queues formed outside the company‘s flagship store on Oxford Street as consumers looked to snap up ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part Two‘ as early as possible, while doors opened early in its shops around the UK such as Belfast and Manchester.
The production was released today on a number of formats, including 2-disc DVD, triple-play blu-ray and as a part of the complete box set collection of all eight Harry Potter films.
Rudy Osorio, HMV Head of Visual, said: “The release of any Harry Potter title is always a key event in our year, but we wanted to mark this final instalment in a special way and we‘ve had a great response to the breakfast openings.
“It looks like it‘s shaping up to be a Harry Potter Christmas.”
HMV will be hoping that encouraging early sales of the film will be maintained in the pre-Christmas build-up to boost what is always the retailer‘s busiest time of the year.
After a tough 12 months for parent company HMV Group, which saw bookselling arm Waterstone‘s offloaded and a number of stores close due as part of a streamlining strategy, the 2011 festive season is particularly important.
The company‘s change of direction also includes the opening of new look stores focused on selling technology products.
HMV‘s so-called ‘Fast Forward‘ stores have reportedly performed well in the early stages of their existence, but Christmas will be the first true test of their future viability.
