The HMV store where people used to queue around the building
Chains have come and gone but HMV has remained a constant
Like many UK city centres, Swansea has seen many large chains come and go. From Debenhams and Dorothy Perkins to Toys "R" Us and Topshop, many of the places we once popped into town to shop in are no longer. But one reliable store that has remained a fixture of the city centre - despite a couple of administration scares - is the unlikely music retailer that seems to have adapted to an ever-changing cultural landscape of music, film and TV streaming services like Spotify and Netflix.
Just last week, HMV re-opened in Swansea's Quadrant Shopping Centre after closing to be refitted with the new 'HMV shop' concept. The new-look store will offer more merchandise, vinyl, film, TV, and music technology and will feature a new performance space for local musicians and bands looking for some gigging experience, said a HMV spokesperson.
The chain went into administration in 2013 and later in 2018 and some stores across the UK have shut over the years. But the story of Swansea's HMV branch is one of survival as one of the longest-serving units in The Quadrant Shopping Centre. As a long-standing addition to the city centre, the store has lived through British pop culture history. In 2002, Will Young's single Evergreen hit the shelves and a spokesperson for HMV at the time told the South Wales Evening Post: "You could stop selling it now and it would still be number one on Sunday. I've never known a single sell as fast as this, apart from Elton John's Princess Diana single [Candle in the Wind].'' You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
As well as offering a look inside the new-look store, we thought we'd go through the archives and rewind as far back as 2001. Cast your mind back to the noughties and you may remember queues which snaked out of the door at Christmas-time or long lines for hyped-up celebrity appearances at HMV Swansea. So, enjoy some pictures of a very Welsh line-up of stars (and the odd forgotten Big Brother housemate) who have graced the Swansea HMV branch and have a peek at the newly refurbished store....
Manager Steve Gribble, centre, and his staff at the opening of the new HMV store in Swansea's Quadrant Shopping Centre in 2001.
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The Swansea branch won the best UK store competition in 2003. Staff won a plaque to display in-store as well as £20,000 to share between themselves. Pictured are assistant manager Kai Evans and sales assistants Mary White and Mia Evans along with other staff members.
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Goldie Lookin Chain at Swansea's HMV shop in 2005 promoting their single 'Your Missus is a Nutter'.
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Devoted rugby fans queue for a signed copy of Welsh rugby player Shane Williams' DVD 'The Shane Williams Story' in 2008
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