H&M to turn the tide with new store concept

A warmer store environment, yoga lessons and espresso: these are some of the ingredients with which Swedish fashion retailer H&M intends to become more relevant to consumers. The chain just opened a renewed concept store in Stockholm.

Warmer look and feel

Wooden floors, wide corridors, spacious fitting rooms, lush greenery and a coffee corner contribute to the contrast of this new pilot store compared to the familiar image of an H&M store. After many conversations with clients, the retailer decided to create a warmer and more personal feel. “We have to raise the entire quality level: to have fewer items in, a nicer presentation of the goods,” CEO Karl-Johan Persson told press agency Reuters, “That is a task, to be able to sell more with less, and to do that in a cost-efficient way.”

The chain is looking to attune what it has to offer to local needs. The store is located in the affluent neighbourhood Karlapan and targets consumers with more expendable capital, using spacious furniture to give the slightly higher-positioned collections more focus. In addition, the store plans to organise more events for its club members: trend presentations, fashion shows, yoga lessons…

For the past few years, H&M has been focusing on online sales and the launch of new brands such as Cos and Arket. As a result, traditional H&M outlets have been somewhat neglected. The company has been dealing with disappointing results and unsold stock for a while. Not too long ago, H&M announced that it would be closing a lot of stores. The chain also opened its new outlet formula Afound. Recently, the retailer has shown some improvement as a result of logistical arrangements.