New force hits retail top three; Music Zone absorbs 41 MVC stores.(Retail)

Music Zone is due to begin branding 41 newly-acquired MVC stores this week, as it moves into the premier league of specialist music retailing.

After concluding a deal with administrator Kroll last week to take over the outlets, the chain now boasts precisely 100 stores, making it the third biggest high-street specialist music player behind only HMV with 214 stores and Virgin Retail with 119 outlets.

The agreement marks another huge step forward for Music Zone, which was taken over in March in a 12m [pounds sterling] management buyout deal led by managing director Steve Oliver, who promised to grow sales to 150m [pounds sterling] at a time when the chain had only 55 stores. As recently as 2000, it owned just 17 outlets.

Oliver says the new stores, which are predominantly in the south of England, will significantly lift Music Zone's profile by increasing its geographical reach beyond its traditional stronghold in Scotland and the north of England.

"As a predominantly northern-based retailer who had no branches south of Birmingham, it has to improve our profile," he says. "It's fair to say that we look forward to more people in the industry taking notice of us. That's what this deal helps us to ...