One of Few Still Standing

Music stores are a dying breed. Sam the Record Man was a Halifax institution. I spent many Saturday afternoons perusing the huge MusicWorld in the mall when I was younger. And HMV on Spring Garden used to be music and movie mecca.

A few years ago, they cut the size of the store by more than half. Maybe even 2/3 or more. Their selection has dwindled, and their focus has changed. They have a little bit of everything rather than a lot of anything.

You can buy CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, video games, books, headphones, and more. But you might not be able to find a rare album you're looking for. They can order it in though...

Having said that, I can still usually find what I'm looking for at HMV, and the prices have dropped in the past few years to be quite reasonable. They always have excellent sales (2 for $15, $20, $25, $30 that you can mix and match, etc.), and new releases are priced well.

Their Blu-ray selection is quite good, but the prices are not. Music is priced well, but Blu-ray is mostly out of reach for me. I buy my Blu-rays mostly online - it's the only place where I can pay what I think they're worth. $40 for a movie is ridiculous.

The staff at HMV are helpful and friendly, and I always have a good shopping experience.

There is also an excellent local music section. They have tonnes of local albums at decent prices.

Overall, HMV is doing enough to survive - unfortunately people who are willing to pay for music and physical copies are becoming few and far between. I still buy music and I plan to for a very long time - won't you join me? :)