H&M announces third Auckland store

Hanover, Germany – June 8, 2019: Close-up of H&M logo. H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish multinational retail-clothing company.
Hanover, Germany – June 8, 2019: Close-up of H&M logo. H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish multinational retail-clothing company.

International fast fashion retailer H&M announced a further expansion into Auckland, with plans to open a new story in Botany Town Centre during Autumn 2019.

The new store will be the third in the Auckland area, along with stores located in Sylvia Park Shopping Centre and Commercial Bay, and the fifth overall, including a store in Queensgate Shopping Centre in Lower Hutt, and the upcoming store at Tauranga Crossing, set to open in April 2019.

“We are excited to be able to announce our expansion into East Auckland,” H&M New Zealand country sales manager Daniel Lattemann said.

“Botany Town Centre is a great location for H&M and we look forward to presenting a truly unique shopping experience to customers in the area.”

New concepts tested

The fashion retailer recently announced that it has been experimenting with new interior and exterior concepts, revised product ranges and the overall look and feel of stores over the past year.

The interior concepts that were tested focused on creating a more personal and welcoming ambiance, while the altered product selection created a more spacious experience for customers.

H&M also tested alternative revenue streams within stores, including an in-store cafe concept known as It’s Pleat, a florist shop-in-shop, as well as monogramming and repair services.

The tests were conducted on stores across Stockholm, Uppsala, Madrid and London.

“These stores give us a chance to try out and explore new concepts and activities to make our stores more inspiring and offer customers a great experience,” H&M managing director Fredrik Olsson said.

“We are looking forward to continuously [evaluating] these tests, where we are exploring the strength of a global brand in combination with a more personal touch and local relevance.”

Olsson said the brand will roll out digital services and features to offer its customers seamless shopping experiences in line with the broader business’s omnichannel strategy.

Throughout 2018, H&M introduced and expanded on its digital capabilities, including the expansion of its click-and-collect function, as well as the introduction of ‘in-store mode’, which enables customers using the H&M app to check product availability at bricks-and-mortar locations from their smart device.

The brand also introduced self-service checkouts and tested a digital-video wall connected to #HMxME, enabling customers to share their own experiences on the signage.

Edit: Added clarification regarding the upcoming store at Tauranga Crossing

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