EXCLUSIVE Sir Richard Branson reveals he's bringing back much-loved Virgin business and his plans to rival Jeff Bezos
Music has been at the heart of Virgin ever since the first Virgin Megastore opened on London 's Oxford Street in the 70s.
Originally a mail order company, Sir Richard Branson first set up shop in 'a little shoe shop with an empty floor', after a postal strike threatened the end of the business.
'We put headphones on the walls, people sat on the pillows and smoked a joint while they listened to music, we had people behind the counter that really knew their music - and Virgin was born,' he tells us in an exclusive interview with MailOnline.
Virgin Megastores quickly became one of the most popular record shops, with hundreds of branches worldwide.
But, as streaming took over, Richard's brainchild began to struggle – and, by 2015, it was operating only in the Middle East, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
However, that all could be about to change, according to Richard, thanks to a surge in people buying vinyl again.
'We used to have a great Megastore in New York,' he tells us. 'And we may even go as far as reopening some Megastores in other places, because I think people are loving discovering vinyl again, and Virgin could also sell them some holidays, Virgin balloon trips, and a few other things in these Megastores.
'They're still going in the Middle East, so maybe we can get them going again in the UK.
'We'll most likely give it a shot.'
Richard's lightbulb moment came during the unveiling of Virgin Hotel Shoreditch's brand-new listening bar Hidden Grooves.
Just hours after seeing it for the first time, Richard says: 'Coming into Hidden Grooves was almost emotional.
'It's just so beautifully done, and they really tried to create a blast from the past with music and 12-inch discs, a drawer full of all my favourite albums and pictures from days with the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and the Sex Pistols, and it was just lovely to see.
'Today, seeing it in person, we decided on the spur of the moment to open a Hidden Grooves in our big hotel in New York, just off Times Square, too.
'In our New York hotel, the one thing I don't particularly like is the entrance area and this would just sort that out straight away.'
Hidden Grooves is just one new element of the London hotel, which has been undergoing a phased transformation since last August.
Virgin Hotel boasts a rooftop pool, stunning new suites with the brand's iconic red doors and famous 'lounge beds'.
Guests can also enjoy Marlin's on the Roof restaurant, a private gym, treatment rooms and rooftop club - and a new signature restaurant will be arriving later this spring.
Richard confesses that his 'mind is always racing' when it comes to building his business.
'If I feel that something's not been done well, I'll just jump in and do it. And obviously, I'm lucky, because I own the company, I can just say, "Screw it, let's do it' and get it done.
'And I try to enable everybody who works for Virgin to be able to do that, but, in the end, the buck stops with me, so I can just make decisions and get on with it.'
Richard has plenty of plans for Virgin over the next few years - including more Virgin Atlantic flights to India, Virgin Voyages cruises to the Red Sea, and also a rival to Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel.
But it's Virgin Galactic that Richard is most excited about.
He says: 'Virgin Galactic is building a number of spaceships and, by the end of next year, they should be ready to fly.
'We're also looking at other countries where we can build space ports, and not just America, so that's quite exciting.'
But does he think Virgin Galactic can compete with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin?
'Jeff and I, we're good friends,' Richard says. 'He'll pop by Necker Island if he's in the area, and then we'll play pickleball together.
'I think it's important in life to be friends in the night time, with the people you're competing with in the daytime, and there are so many people who want to go to space that there's room for us both.
'I obviously think Virgin Galactic is the better of the two experiences, and I'm sure if Jeff was here, he would argue that his his experience is the better, but there's room for both!'
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