Music and Video Club

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MVC logo

Music and Video Club or MVC was a British retailer which sold DVDs, VHS audio cassettes and CDs of popular and specialist titles. At its peak it had 82 stores in the United Kingdom and also sold products over the Internet. The club was an important point of emphasis for the business, and anyone could join by sending their details to register for the free club card. Each item on sale displayed two prices, the normal retail price, and a slightly lower price for members.

Originally started by former staff members of Our Price who left after WH Smith bought the company. MVC itself would go on to be bought by the large Kingfisher plc, which latterly became Woolworths, it was sold to a venture capital company in August 2005, but a lack of direction and investment failed to improve profitability.

[edit] MVC in administration

In late 2005, MVC went into administration, having also been affected by high competition within the UK market from other music chains such as HMV and supermarket chains such as Tesco and Asda. They also faced competition from the Internet from web sites such as Amazon.co.uk.

In January 2006, 41 of MVC's stores were bought by one of its competitors, Music Zone.

Seven stores were bought out by a new company, EA Music, owned by Garry Taylor, from the band Electric Avenue - after which the company is loosely named. EA Music began trading in January 2006. Stores are located in Basildon, Southend, Coventry, Barnsley, Wrexham, Winchester and Gloucester.

The new stores offer a wide variety of products including CD's, DVD's, sheet music as well as instruments.

On May 24, 2006, following a significant lack of investment in stock, all stores closed due to EA Music going into administration itself, thus ending a long 4 months for the EA Music staff.

It also appears that Music Zone (who purchased 41 of the stores from MVC when they went into administration) has suffered the same fate and gone into administration itself, and as of 25 January 2007, they have ceased trading. 67 Music Zone stores have since been taken over by music and book retailer Fopp, including some of the former MVC stores.