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HMV Group, who is currently Britain’s foremost music and film retailer, is finalizing plans to put cinemas above some of its 250 locations as part of a business makeover that in part seeks to diversify the company from the competition.  

HMV is partnering with Curzon Artificial Eye in order to test a cinema with a seating capacity of 200 above one of the London retail locations.  Cinemas above HMV will be known as HMV Curzon, and this London test location will be open to the public in the coming fall season.  
HMV Group CEO Simon Fox tells Advertising Age, “Millions of film fans visit HMV’s High Street stores each year, making them an ideal destination for this new type of cinema experience. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to getting our customers even closer to the film and entertainment content they love.”

The cinemas will be decked out with a café, bar, and luxury seating amenities, as well as a merchandise area.  The area will be available to the public beginning at 9am and the screens will play host to films for local schools as well as for young children and their parents.  
A senior research analyst at Verdict Research told the news outlet that this new incorporation is part of a wider strategy for HMV to establish themselves as “an entertainment specialist.” By attracting customers to the movie theater, the retailer hopes to keep customers in the store in a market that is becoming dominated more and more by the internet.