Music and entertainment retailer HMV has returned to Ipswich town centre after five weeks away.

Music and entertainment retailer HMV has returned to Ipswich town centre after five weeks away.

Doors at the new store in the upper part of the centre opened just after 9am with a t-shirt being the first item sold by the store.

Blake Martin was one of the first shoppers into the new store.

He said he was happy to see the new developments: “It’s really good. I like that there’s the same staff and that there are less stairs!”

Ipswich Star: A shopper browsing through albums at the newly opened HMV store in Sailmakers shopping centre. Picture: SIMON LEE PHOTOGRAPHYA shopper browsing through albums at the newly opened HMV store in Sailmakers shopping centre. Picture: SIMON LEE PHOTOGRAPHY (Image: Simon Lee Photography)

Another customer, Steven Driver, said he was pleased to see the store return to Ipswich as he preferred shopping in-store to online.

“It was a bit of a nightmare when it was gone.

“If you come in the shop, if you can find what you want you can get it straight away.

“I am very glad that its open. It’s smaller than the old one but it is set out well and you can still find things.”

Ipswich Star: HMV enjoyed a successful opening at Sailmakers shopping centre at the weekend. From left: James Driver, manager Pete Bowery and Becky Finbow. Picture: SIMON LEE PHOTOGRAPHYHMV enjoyed a successful opening at Sailmakers shopping centre at the weekend. From left: James Driver, manager Pete Bowery and Becky Finbow. Picture: SIMON LEE PHOTOGRAPHY (Image: Simon Lee Photography)

Store manager, Pete Bowery was on hand to let the first customers through the door, he said: “It’s absolutely fantastic. We’ve spent four days setting the store up.”

Mr Bowery added that the new location would make a big difference to the service they would be able to provide to the people of Ipswich.

“Previously we had three floors, several stairs. This site is all on one level, so it’s more accessible.”

“Although it is smaller than the previous site, the new racking means we have got as many titles as we had got on the last site.”

Ipswich Star: The former HMV site closed in January. Picture: KATY SANDALLSThe former HMV site closed in January. Picture: KATY SANDALLS (Image: Archant)

“It’s a good new start.”

The former Tavern Street shop was closed in January whilst preparations were made to re-open in the nearby Sailmakers Shopping Centre.

HMV had previously sat on the site for 23 years with the decision to move being made last December.

Mike Sorhaindo, Manager of Sailmakers Shopping Centre, was also at the Centre to oversee the opening and he said: “HMV is such an iconic name in the British music and entertainment industry that it is a real feather in our cap to attract them here to Sailmakers.

“It shows the strides we have made and justifies the investment of £4 million in the centre that we are able to play host to such major high street names here at Sailmakers.

It’s thought that health care and beauty giant, Superdrug will move into HMV’s former home sometime in the future.