H&M…Preparing to open their doors down under

First Zara, then Topshop and now H&M are making their way down under.  The Swedish retailer plans on opening its Melbourne flagship store in the GPO Building on Bourke Street early 2014.

It is inevitable that the retail giant will follow its rival’s footsteps by opening a second Australian store in Sydney shortly after….we patiently await the announcement.

For those of you who are not familiar with H&M it is the perfect example of “fast fashion” offering on trend styles taken straight from the catwalk, designed and produced really quickly and sold at very affordable prices.  Popular with younger girls and women who want on trend pieces and they want them now!!  They also sell menswear, kids clothing and home ware.

To connect with their customer and raise their profile they regularly enlist high profile celebrities for advertising campaigns and collaborate with designers such as Marni, Lanvin, Versace and more recently Isabel Marant.  These collections normally sell out within minutes attracting the younger and money conscious consumer who can’t afford the high end versions.  Let’s hope any future collaboration’s reach the Aussie stores as well.

Isabel Marant for H&M

After discussing the Sydney Topshop and Zara with friends, and colleagues there seems to slight air of disappointment that the stores haven’t quite lived up to the same expectation that they are loved for in Europe.  Although they deliver the fast fashion we desire, it seems to be the inflated prices (which I completely understand due to high import costs and the overall high cost of living in Australia) or the lack of must have pieces.  I personally never get that excitement rush that I get when I walk in to Topshop on Oxford Circus or even Zara in Hong Kong where the stores are immaculate, merchandised fantastically and filled with all the most wanted items.  Having said that, the six Zara stores posted $108 million in sales for the year ending January 2012, so they must be hitting the spot right with shoppers.

So, let us wait to see if H&M break the mould, and can bring us fast moving, current fashion with a store as impressive as their Stockholm flag ship?  We wait excitedly to see!

We also hear the giant Japanese brand Uniqlo will also reach our shores in 2014….we think it will be a good year for shoppers!

Written by Susan Black