Entertainment specialist HMV is to open more pop-up shops this Christmas after last year’s success.

HMV will operate about 30 of the temporary stores over the peak period this year, compared with 20 in 2010, when they contributed about £1m to profit.

The shops, carrying a slimmed-down range of core product such as chart hits, will again be located in places where the retailer either does not have a shop or where an existing store is too small to meet seasonal demand.

HMV suffered a 15.1% fall in like-for-likes in the 18 weeks to September 3.

However, chief executive Simon Fox insisted that progress is being made on the turnaround. The retailer is installing a technology offer in 150 stores by October after a successful pilot.

Fox said if the sales trend in overhauled stores had applied to the portfolio in the first quarter, then the like-for-like figure would have been between six and seven percentage points better than reported.

He said: “We’re encouraged by what we’re seeing in our technology offer.”

However, Seymour Pierce analyst Freddie George said: “We remain sceptical given the structural pressures in its core marketplace.”