his masters voice
on the 20th July 1921 a new type of record store was opened. hmv virtually invented the concept of in-store personal appearances with Sir Edward Elgar, the celebrated British composer, opening our very first hmv based in London, Oxford Street .Our hmv store was a first for record retailing on the high street and we gave people the opportunity to experience the music they were hearing at the concert hall, in their homes.
our very first hmv was known as the Gramophone Company hence the association with our trademark “His Master’s Voice”.
His Masters Voice is the painting by Francis Barraud of a Jack Russell, “Nipper”, listening to an old gramophone. Over the years we have updated the image in our store and online advertising.
We have a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) forum, headed up by Simon Fox, our CEO. The forum meet up on a regular basis to review our environmental focus and charitable projects and put in place new initiatives.
our values
our values support our vision, they help explain who we are, how we do things and are reflected in the everyday actions of all our colleagues in our stores, our distribution centres and our head office.
no-one gets you closer to the music, film and games you love
This is our vision. This is what hmv is all about. It’s simple, its clear and it is a vision that we can all contribute to everyday. All of our activity in stores, head office and distribution centres must be about getting our customers closer to the music, film, and games they love. This is our big idea. This is our vision.