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Fopp (retailer)

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Fopp (retailer)

Fopp is a British chain of retail shops selling music, film, books and other entertainment products in the United Kingdom. The chain's stores are operated by Sunrise Records, but with the Fopp brand being used under license from Mermaid (Brands) Limited.

The company was setup by Englishman Gordon Montgomery and began as a one-man stall in Glasgow, Scotland in 1981. The name "Fopp" comes from the title of a song by the Ohio Players on their 1975 album Honey.[citation needed]

By 2007, Fopp had expanded to become a chain of over 100 branches in the UK. With the demise of rival chain Music Zone, Fopp became the third largest specialist music retailer in the UK in terms of shop numbers (after HMV and Virgin Megastores).

Having taken over rival chain Music Zone following its fall into administration, Fopp found itself with cash flow problems. The company cancelled book deliveries in June blaming a change in location of warehouse from Bristol to Stockport (the old Music Zone warehouse).

On 21 June 2007, the company began accepting only cash transactions, stating card authorisation problems as the cause. On 22 June 2007 the company closed all branches for 'stocktaking' and said it was in talks with its bank. A week later the company announced a temporary closure in all its outlets and its online venture, and staff were informed that they would not be receiving their monthly pay.

On 29 June 2007, Fopp called in receivers after a last-ditch deal that would have allowed Sir Richard Branson a way to devolve himself from the loss making Virgin Megastores without the negative PR of closing down multiple locations, but this deal failed to win support from Virgin's main supplier. The shops were closed, and staff were sent home with their monthly salaries unpaid.

The Fopp website was taken down shortly afterwards and replaced with the following message:

"It is with great regret that we announce the closure of Fopp.

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