HMV has created what it describes as a “brand new shopping and retail experience” in Hong Kong.

Possibly the world’s fastest shrinking retail brand in the last decade as consumers shun compact discs and DVDs in favour of digital downloads, HMV has disappeared from many international markets.

But in Hong Kong, the brand is attempting a resurrection, with a store format focused on a broader selection of categories and trying to create an in-store experience, something missing from the HMV format of old in the UK, especially.

In Hong Kong’s Elements shopping centre, HMV has re-opened its fifth store, comprising around 5000sqft of retail space with a cafe and relaxation centre at its core.

The distinctive pink remains in the brand’s logo, but is notably and thankfully missing from the rest of the shop which uses black, white and grey to deliver “comfortable and natural sensations”.

HMV originated as a recording label His Master’s Voice, whose logo featured a white dog with a black spot on his head staring at a gramophone box speaker. The dog has a special place in the Hong Kong store in a new role, something of a cross between a welcoming ambassador and a watchdog, reprising the historic link and amusing at the same time.

HMV says the overall design of the store aims to give “more accessibility to shoppers and to push retail into a new era”. It includes a ‘creative spot’ with original His Masters Voice neon signage, a place to be, to hang out and chill, listen to music and sip espresso coffee or tea.

While CDs and DVDs are prominently on display, they take up far less a proportion of this store than they would have five years ago.

Instead there are new categories – an extensive vinyl selection for the DJ set or collectors, an array of headphones from different brands. There’s an apparel section with t-shirts bearing rock group insignia, tablets allow people to sample music and there is even a children’s playing area, with child-oriented merchandise.

This new rendition of HMV is completely different to any predecessor Inside Retail Asia has seen.

Whether it is on target enough to keep the category alive in a modern mall environment with heavy pressure on retailers to perform or move out remains to be seen. But when we visited the store during the recent Westfield Asia Express Retail Study Tour, and during a traditionally quiet trading time of the day, there were customers in-store browsing, drinking coffee, chilling – and buying.

HMV Elements is an innovative and well thought out attempt to revive an ailing category. It deserves recognition.