Overview
H&M, the Ikea of fashion, have really been kicking goals lately. Not only have they proven themselves the ultimate champions of affordable Swedish threads, they've nearly approached world domination. The much-loved brand boasts over 3000 stores in more than 50 countries, and each store they open in Australia is met with a frenzy. We saw it at Melbourne's GPO earlier this year and we're about to see it at the Macquarie Centre next month, but that will be nothing compared to the craziness announced for next year.
H&M have just announced they will open a Sydney flagship store at the Glasshouse on Pitt Street in mid-2015. The fashion goliath will stand at three storeys tall and cover 5000 square metres. We were just joking about the comparison to Ikea, but seriously, you're probably going to get lost in there.
As expected with such an enormous space, the store will house not only the latest clothing collection but also homewares, sportswear and accessories. Stock will be replenished daily, and the shopping centre will increase its trading hours to cope with the undoubtedly huge crowds. For comparison, 1.7 million people have passed through the Melbourne flagship store since its opening in April.
Of course, there must be a reason for all this hysteria. Not only are the clothes cheap and of decent quality, H&M's Australian manager Hans Andersson has practically announced the brand as saviour of Australian fashion. "Sydney ... has world-class restaurants, yet the shopping is not up to the same standard," he said. "It has to change; as retailers we have to do better."
For those that are too impatient to wait until next year, Sydney's first H&M store is opening in North Ryde on October 16 and a pop-up store also just appeared in the CBD as part of Vogue Fashion's Night Out. It's all happening! Maybe kill some time by sharpening your nails and perfecting a snarl to intimidate other shoppers.
