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Business News HMV Timeline Retail
HMV piloting third party online marketplace
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 22 October 2012
HMV is piloting a third party marketplace within its online operations to enable other companies to sell entertainment goods via its website.
According to Retail Week, just one company is currently participating, DVD Gaming, though up to ten could be on board before Christmas, with plans for a proper launch next year. The initiative is based on the marketplace service offered by major online rivals Amazon, of course, and a similar venture was launched by Tesco earlier this year.
Commenting on the new service, an HMV spokesman told Retail Week: “It’s very early days and purposely low key for the time being, while we test the functionality to ensure everything works and the experience is a good one for the customer. Our priority is to focus on delivering a successful Christmas, but we will look to officially launch early next year with a wide range of partners. We should have at least ten partner offerings up over the next few weeks, including with DVD Gaming, which are the first to go live. Ultimately it’s about complementing our existing core offer and filling any gaps so that we can extend an even greater content-related choice to our customers”.
Elsewhere in HMV news, the flagging entertainment retailer has announced the appointment of Nadia Akhtar to the role of Business Relationships Manager, reporting to Partnerships Manager James Flett and overseeing the firm’s corporate and third party gift vouchers. The new role will take over responsibilities previously handled by Corporate Sales Manager Kate Barton, who recently left the company.
Confirming her new role, Akhtar told CMU: “I’m delighted to be part of the HMV team and working with such as iconic brand. A number of exciting projects are now already underway and I’m very much looking forward to working with HMV’s existing partners to help strengthen these ties further, as well as building new relationships as the business looks to expand its gift voucher platform and third party corporate activities”.
