ADMINISTRATORS in charge of music chain HMV have announced the closure of 11 shops in Scotland.
The stores, which include all those in Edinburgh and two in Glasgow, will shut their doors over the next two months after being axed by Deloitte as part of a review of the company's financial position.
Across the UK, 66 shops are being closed, with the loss of 930 jobs. The number of job losses in Scotland has not been identified.
The HMV group, which has 220 UK stores, became the latest casualty of the economic downturn on the high street when it called in administrators last month.
The stores earmarked for closure are in Dumfries, Kircaldy and Falkirk, along with branches at Fort Kinnaird, the Gyle Centre, Ocean Terminal, Princes Street and the St James Centre in Edinburgh.
Glasgow will lose HMV shops in the Fort and Silverburn malls, while the store in Renfrewshire's Braehead shopping centre will also be shut. However, the outlets at Argyll Street and Buchanan Street will stay open.
Garry Clark, head of policy and public affairs at the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said the closure of so many HMV stores reflected the tough times facing retailers.
l One-fifth of Britons now buy only downloads for their music consumption, according to new figures.
The study, compiled for the British Phonographic Industry, shows 19.6% of consumers have abandoned buying physical versions.
The figures show 27.7% of people bought downloads or used streaming services.
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