Fashion chain’s new store won’t be the last
Today’s opening of fashion chain H& M is likely to be the start of rapid growth for the retailer in this country.
As well as its new Sylvia Park store, H& M has plans for another Auckland shop, and t ypically grows quickly once it moves into a new market — Australia has grown to some 16 stores in three years.
“Commercial Bay [ downtown Auckland] in 2018 is the next store confirmed but we are always looking for more locations,” said country sales manager Daniel Lattemann. “We don’t have one in the South Island yet but I’m sure we will eventually.”
The brand’s Sylvia Park store opens its doors at 10am today.
“We think the New Zealand market has been waiting for this for a while and that’s the feedback we get from the customer,” Lattemann said.
“H& M has been looking at New Zealand for a long time but for us it’s very important to find the best location and that takes a bit of time. I think Kiwis are very fashion forward and there is the need for high fashion.”
The 2300sq m store spans t wo floors and houses a selection of the latest styles as well as H& M classics.
Sylvia Park is bracing itself for huge crowds, with extra public transport. Almost 200 staff members would be working on the day, and Lattemann said the store would stay open “as long as there are customers”.
Customers could expect the same range and prices as its Northern Hemisphere stores, he said, with the exception of homeware and beauty products.
H& M’s second store at Commercial Bay in downtown Auckland will be bigger than the Sylvia Park outlet and will also house the brand’s homeware collection.
The multinational retailer is the second largest clothing retailer in the world behind Spanish retailer Zara, and has more than 3500 stores in 57 countries.
Zara is also opening in Sylvia Park next week but Lattemann said he wasn’t worried about the competition.
“What we see in other markets where we’re operating, having more competition really helps so it’s a winwin situation,” he said.
“The customer can compare prices and the fashion level and in the end it helps everyone to have more retailers because there’s more traffic.”
Overall foot traffic increased between 15 to 20 per cent following the arrival of a major retailer such as H& M in a mall, Lattemann said.
H& M’s opening follows the arrival of Topshop in Auckland in March last year, as well as a number of other retailers including Tiffany confirming expansion into New Zealand.
H& M was keeping quiet on some of its its opening- day plans, saying it would be a surprise, but Lattemann said he was expecting the day would be hectic but fun for its Kiwi fans.