H&M to enter tier-II cities with smaller stores

Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is stepping up its expansion plans with four new stores slated to open this month, as it aims to become a pan-India player.

After metro cities, H&M will open stores in tier-II cities such as Indore, Coimbatore and Amritsar. The stores will be smaller in size — 18,000 to 19,000 square feet, or around 30 per cent smaller than its stores in Mumbai. The four stores will have an accumulated space of over 75,000 sq ft. At present, H&M operates 17 stores across the country and is eyeing 25 stores by the end of 2017.

In comparison, H&M’s main rival Zara, whose parent Inditex has a joint venture (JV) with Tata-owned Trent, opened its first store in the country in 2010. Zara has 21 stores in eight cities and plans to open two- to-three stores.

H&M’s store in Indore will open at Treasure Island on September 16 followed by Prozone Mall in Coimbatore on September 22 and Woodburn Central in Kolkata on September 23. H&M will also open its first store at the Mall of Amritsar on September 30, the company said. “At H&M we see tremendous opportunity in the tier-II markets and look forward to bring global fashion to the ever growing fashion conscious customers with our collections that include everything from the latest trends to timeless classics for customers across India to dress in their personal style,” said an H&M India spokesperson.