Zavvi (retailer)

Zavvi is an entertainment retail chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland, originally Virgin Megastores. Zavvi was formed in September 2007 when a management buy-out team purchased the company from Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

It was the UK's largest independent entertainment retailer before being placed in administration on 24 December 2008. Store closures took place from January 2009, with the last to cease trading on 20 February. HMV purchased 19 Zavvi stores to be merged into the HMV chain. Former managing director Simon Douglas and business partner Les Whitfield purchased five of the stores to form Head Entertainment, all of which eventually closed in early 2009 after less than a year of opening. On 2 March 2009, The Hut Group relaunched the Zavvi website.

History

Virgin era

Richard Branson started his first Virgin store on London's Oxford Street in 1971. In 1979 the company opened its first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the chain grew, most notably through its merger with the Our Price chain whilst under the ownership of WH Smith. Virgin Megastores had become an international franchise as part of the Virgin Group but during the early to mid-2000s, the Virgin Group decided to sell off most of its Virgin Megastores to various companies, including the French stores to the Lagardere Group and the American stores to Related Companies.

Zavvi

Zavvi may refer to: