If you're over a certain age, there's a fair chance your first CDs came from HMV. And, if you're still salty that the Toronto flagship location at 333 Yonge Street is now a too-fancy weed shop, you may find some solace (or not, let's be real) in knowing the brand is making a comeback — albeit unconventionally.
Get ready to visit your local Toys "R" Us for the first time in years, because the toy giant is clearing out shelves of their retail locations to make room for HMV-branded sections.
People online have noticed that Toys "R" Us locations have had empty shelving for some months, with "under construction" signs alluding to new things coming. Now that vinyl, CDs and merch are popping up in said sections, Toys "R" Us Canada has confirmed they're reviving the HMV brand, according to a TikTok by the Tanner Zipchen.
While it may seem like a strange team-up, HMV owner Doug Putman also owns Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us Canada. He is also the CEO of Sunrise Records.
So far, five Toys "R" Us locations in Ontario have HMV sections: Pickering, Brantford, Mississauga, Burlington and Argentia Road. Apparently, more locations are set to follow in the coming months.
From the few TikToks that have surfaced, it honestly looks exactly how you'd expect — a couple of vinyl shelves and some unorganized CDs among walls of Funko Pops. Apologies to anyone who was hoping for the dark ambiance and massive album art of the original stores — as someone who met my partner in an HMV a decade ago, all the original romance is gone, of course.
