Fashion brand H & M, which was forced to close many large stores when sales declined is eyeing up various small-format stores in cities throughout the UK.
Property dealers revealed that the fashion brand was considering opening shops of around 8,000 sq ft, compared to its typical stores which stand at over 20,000 sq ft. Thus H&M is contemplating moving back to areas where it closed in recent years.
H&M was forced to close 56 stores in the UK after the start of the Covid pandemic, including locations like Hartlepool, Burton, and Maidenhead in efforts to reduce costs. The fashion giant was already trailing smaller stores elsewhere in Europe, including Berlin in 2019.
Elsewhere in Europe, the H&M is making efforts to increase its presence. Last month, H&M group revealed it was planning to “gradually reopen” the majority of its stores in Ukraine from November after they temporarily shut following Russia’s invasion.
In July, the business also announced plans to trial a new store concept at one of its Manchester locations, as it looked to update its store estate. H&M is the closest rival to another European apparel group the Zara owner Inditex.
H&M actively considering reopening stores in locations that were abandoned earlier
