Take That's new album selling fast

Progress, the new album from pop superstars Take That, hit stores today with a bang, according to HMV. Heeding indications from a record number of online pre-sales, HMV opened specially at 8am across the U.K. in order to accommodate demand, and estimate that they will move approximately 150,000 copies today alone.

If the trend holds, Take That could have their sixth successive album reach number one on the charts, with an estimated 400,000 - 500,000 copies sold in the first week. With four more weeks of the Christmas season remaining, Progress could easily push Take That to number one on the charts by Christmas.

"Progress has all the makings of one of the biggest and fastest-selling albums of recent years", says HMV's Gennaro Castaldo, "it should comfortably shift well over a million copies in just a few weeks as we approach Christmas - when it will undoubtedly top the festive charts."

The album debuts alongside new releases from the likes of Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen and Pink, and on the heels of recent releases from Susan Boyle, Cheryl Cole and Bon Jovi. However, the group's visibility is sky-high after their much-celebrated performance on X-Factor over the weekend and the airing of their own TV documentary.