Music giant HMV is to open a new store in Oxford city centre next month.

The chain’s branch closed in the street in 2014 but now HMV is returning and is expected to occupy the former Gap store in the Clarendon Centre.

The American clothing chain closed in Cornmarket last month as part of a countrywide closure programme.

HMV has a new Twitter feed @OxfordHmv and is now recruiting staff.

HMV tweeted that it wanted staff who were ‘fanatical about music and film and is advertising roles for ‘full-time senior sales and 10-hour sales assistant contracts, with the option to flex hour up’.

Read again: As HMV announces a new store we look back at musical memories

A spokesman for HMV said: “I can confirm there will be a store opening mid-September.”

He added that more details would be revealed shortly. In June 2014 music fans queued up at HMV Cornmarket to buy the last discounted CDs, DVDs and video games.

HMV survived in a different guise following a buyout and a limited number of stores remain up and down the country.

Doug Putman, CEO of similar Canadian chain Sunrise Records, purchased HMV in early 2019. One hundred and eight stores were rescued, including those branded Fopp, and Europe’s largest entertainment store, HMV Vault, was launched in Birmingham.

While some Fopp stores were rescued, Oxford’s branch at Gloucester Green did not survive.

The news of HMV's return is a boost to Cornmarket which has suffered since the opening of the new Westgate in 2017. Family-run department store Boswell's closed for good in 2020 and Debenhams in Magdalen Street has also shut.

Oxford also has independent music stores including Riverman Records in Walton Street and Truck Store in Cowley Road.