Hal Leonard Europe confirms Musicroom retail store closures as part of consumer channel restructure.
Leading sheet music publisher and distributor Hal Leonard Europe has today confirmed plans to restructure its Musicroom consumer business in the UK and Ireland, with the closure of seven Musicroom retail stores. The company will increase its focus on continuing the successful growth of its Musicroom.com e-commerce channel.
As part of this restructure, Musicroom retail store locations in Edinburgh, Exeter, Lincoln, Salisbury, Stratford and York will be closed, as well as a Musicroom concession in the Dublin music store, McCullough Pigott. Musicroom’s flagship store on London’s Denmark Street will remain open, maintaining a high street presence in the most iconic music retail location in the UK, and integrating with Musicroom.com, the UK and Europe’s leading sheet music specialist online store.
Through its London flagship and fast-growing e-commerce stores, Musicroom will continue to provide customers with the best tools and resources for learning, teaching, creating and making music – from the largest print and digital sheet music selection available, to an extensive range of instruments, accessories, pro audio and technology products as well as gifts and vinyl records.
A special in-store sales promotion will launch this week in all Musicroom locations, with offers across a huge range of products from leading brands. Customers will also benefit from additional discounts and incentives on Musicroom.com when they buy in-store. The promotion ends 31st March 2023, which is when the seven Musicroom stores to close will cease trading.
Tom Venvell, Managing Director – UK & Germany, said: “Musicroom retail stores have contributed significantly to our consumer business and wider UK music-making communities over many years, and our decision to restructure in this way has been very difficult. However, with sales and profitability impacted by challenging market conditions, and costs continuing to rise, we need to make these changes. Our focus now is on supporting affected teams and serving our customers through this period. We look forward to working with partners and suppliers as we grow Musicroom in new ways, and ensure our products continue to be part of every music-making journey.”
Alongside the restructure of its Musicroom consumer business, Hal Leonard Europe continues to invest in UK music retail through its trade channel, supplying hundreds of music shops up and down the country from its distribution centre in Bury St Edmunds, and providing flexible retail solutions including its Racking Partner and Fulfilled by HLE programmes to over sixty independent UK retailers. Hal Leonard Europe is proud to continue its membership and support of the Music Industries Association, championing the music products and services industry in the UK.
Clarification: Banks Musicroom in York is a Musicroom retail store location and is separate and has no business relation to Banks Music Publications.
MIA Executive Director Anthony Short commented “This has clearly been a difficult decision for Hal Leonard Europe and is reflective of the current challenges faced by High Street retail. Clearly, this is a developing story and we will be in close contact with HLE to bring you further news of their plans to transition and grow Musicroom and its support for UK music-makers”
