H&M is relocating its Belfast flagship store, preparing to open an “enhanced” 20,000 sq.ft. location in Northern Ireland’s capital city. The new store, set to open in July on Castle Street, promises a fresh interior design for the brand.
Spanning two floors, the store will offer womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and accessories. The customer experience will be driven by fashion demand, featuring elevated trend-driven products and styles.
Klas Degeryd, Head of Expansion, H&M UK & Ireland, said, “New omnichannel services will offer customers more convenience, while an elevated interior design will enable them to shop our latest fashion collections and styles in a more curated and inspirational way.” An addition will be self-service checkouts.
Sustainability will be a key focus, with the store incorporating numerous eco-conscious features. This upgraded flagship store follows a recent trend for H&M and other retailers to revisit and enhance their store portfolios. Many retailers are shifting towards larger spaces rather than opening new locations. Superdrug, Lululemon, Zara, Footasylum, Goldsmiths, Hobbs, and Phase Eight have all announced similar upsizing investments in recent months.
Property giant Landsec highlighted this trend in its year-end results, noting that major brands are moving towards “fewer, bigger, better stores” to improve retail performance and footfall.
