Universal Music Group has opened its second physical retail location globally, launching the UMusic Shop inside its UMusic Hotel in Madrid.
The Madrid shop joins Universal Music’s existing retail presence in Tokyo’s Harajuku district, where the company operates a flagship store.
The two-floor Madrid store will open on July 8 to coincide with the city’s Mad Cool Festival, with performances from UMG artists.
The development arrives nearly three years after UMG opened the doors to UMusic Hotel Madrid in November 2022.
The first ever UMG hotel, with 130 rooms and suites, is located inside the historic Albéniz Theater building in the Spanish capital.
The new UMusic Shop features high-fidelity audio systems, digital displays and curated merchandise including vinyl records, apparel and artist-specific products from Universal Music’s catalog.
It also houses a café corner offering refreshments, as well as fitting rooms and modular displays to accommodate brand collaborations.
A press release from UMusic said the Shop would “combine the sale of exclusive products with immersive music experiences for dedicated music superfans”.
“At UMusic Hotels, we’re always exploring new ways to bring fans closer to the music and the artists they love, while delivering an exceptional entertainment, retail and hospitality experience.”
Jordi Solé, UMusic Hotels
Universal Music Japan opened the Harajuku store in October 2023 as a concept retail store and as a hub for “UMG artists and fans from around the world to connect offline.” Spanning four floors, the shop features dedicated fan experiences, product launches, and retail pop-up shops.
UMG describes the Madrid shop as “more than a retail move – it’s a cultural statement.”
“The UMusic Shop is more than a store; it’s a space for discovery, inspiration, and fan connection. We’re proud to bring this vision to life in Madrid, and it’s only the beginning.”
Jordi Solé, UMusic Hotels
Jordi Solé, President, UMusic Hotels, said: “At UMusic Hotels, we’re always exploring new ways to bring fans closer to the music and the artists they love, while delivering an exceptional entertainment, retail and hospitality experience.”
“The UMusic Shop is more than a store; it’s a space for discovery, inspiration, and fan connection. We’re proud to bring this vision to life in Madrid, and it’s only the beginning.”
Universal’s growing presence in direct-to-fan retail tallies with the company’s ongoing strategy surrounding ‘superfans’.
In January, Sir Lucian Grainge, CEO & Chairman of UMG, wrote: “This year will see us expanding our product offerings to fans, as we continue to redefine the ‘merch’ category and create superfan collectibles and experiences.
“Some of this will be done through our current partners and some through our own D2C channels, which we will continue scaling to meet the massive appetite of fans.”
Meanwhile, Universal Music Group has outlined expansion plans for additional UMusic Hotels across Europe, the US and Latin America.
Originally, UMG announced in 2020 that Atlanta, Georgia; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Orlando, Florida would house the first three locations through a previously announced joint venture with entertainment investment group Dakia U-Ventures. Madrid ultimately became the debut property instead.
UMG launched the UMusic Hotels brand in October 2020, at a time when the hotel industry and the whole hospitality sector was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.Music Business Worldwide
