Music store HMV is shutting its Westwood Cross branch after failed negotiations over the lease of its unit at the shopping centre.

A spokesman for the retail chain says the closure comes "despite their best efforts" to keep it open and it will shut on March 18.

Signs are up in the windows advertising a clearance sale.

The music retail business had been in administration last year, but Canadian company Sunrise Records owned by entrepreneur Doug Putman bought 100 of the chain's 127 stores - saving 1,487 jobs, The remaining 27 stores would close, resulting in 455 redundancies, but Westwood Cross was saved.

Before then in 2013 HMV was saved from administration by capital company Hilco.

Commenting on the Thanet closure, a spokesman said: "Regretfully we can confirm that will be closing HMV Westwood Cross before the end of March, despite our best efforts to keep this store open.

"This is no reflection on the commitment of our excellent staff, but due to a failure to reach an agreement with the landlord on the terms of our lease at this property."

HMV managing director Neil Taylor added: "I would like to thank all of our loyal customers at HMV Westwood Cross for their support, and I would also like to thank the store staff for their dedication and hard work."

The chain, which celebrates the 100th birthday of its first store in 2021, also has branches in Maidstone, Bluewater, Tunbridge Wells and Canterbury.

It acquired record store Fopp in 2007 and Zavvi in 2009 and previously owned Waterstone's.

When it went in to administration in December 2018 it sold a third of the country's physical music and a quarter of all DVDs.

HMV - His Master's Voice - opened its first shop in London's Oxford Street in 1921 and traces its origins to the 1890s but it was that flagship branch that was one of the 27 to close last year having been deemed unprofitable.

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