Supermarket chains are increasing the number of stores offering music, video and games - despite a slump in the size of the UK entertainment market.

The number of grocery stores selling video and music almost doubled between 2008 and 2012 to 4,541 - and is now 10% higher than it was a year ago [Entertainment Retailers Association].

Growth had been driven by retailers increasing the number of c-stores offering entertainment products, said ERA director general Kim Bayley.

“A lot of customers still want to buy physical product and these customers are best served by putting entertainment in as many locations as possible,” she said.

Morrisons this week said all new stores would carry an entertainment offer, and existing stores that didn’t normally have such products could request to stock major launches. “There is currently a small entertainment offer in our c-stores but we have growth plans following recent acquisitions,” added a spokesman.

Sainsbury’s said it was increasing its activity in convenience. “Although we don’t carry a full chart range as we do in supermarkets, stocking in c-stores means we can be more opportunistic around key releases and seasonal opportunities,” added category manager Matt Newman.

The number of supermarkets selling video games has grown 6% year-on-year to 2,542 while the total number of games retailers has continued its long-term decline and fell 7% to 6,180 last year [ERA].

The increase in supermarket activity comes as overall sales of music, video and video games have fallen 12% year-on-year to £4.2bn [ERA]. In 2012, supermarkets lost between 0.6 and one percentage point of market share in the three sectors.

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