HMV employees have hijacked the beleaguered high street retailer's
Twitter feed to reveal a mass exodus of staff. The entertainment retailer fell into administration earlier this month and became the latest casualty on the high street, putting 4,350 jobs at risk. The franchises' 239 stores have remained open since then, while Deloitte examines the prospects of finding potential buyers for the stricken business. The firm also initially stated that they would not be accepting gift vouchers or issuing more, though they have taken a softer stance on the former recently. HMV, which began trading in 1921, have struggled to keep up with the emergence of online retailing in recent years. The closure earlier in the month of camera retailer Jessops and the collapse of electrical goods chain Comet last year make HMV just the latest in a long line of high street casualties. A number of staff today took to the company's official Twitter account to speak of mass firings within the company as the franchise tries to cut down on its wage bill. One Tweet this afternoon read:
"We're tweeting live from HR where we're all being fired! Exciting!!"
Another stated:
"There are over 60 of us being fired at once! Mass execution, of loyal employees who love the brand. #hmvXFactorFiring"
Recently, restructuring firm Hilco took over the retailer's debts from its lenders Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland, signalling the first step towards rescuing the iconic music and DVD business after it collapsed into administration under debts of £176 million.