H&M opening largest store ever on 34th Street

If H&M wasn't doing a good enough job of taking over the fast-fashion retail sector already, they have finally decided to pull out the big guns, emphasis on the word big. Today the brand will be opening their largest store in the world at 34th Street Herald Square. The store will be a massive 65,000 square feet.

H&M's new flagship will virtually dwarf their competitors, such as Zara, whose NYC flagship stores are around 43,000 square feet. At this point, only the Times Square Forever 21 could begin to compete with H&M's massive size, and that store often gets complaints for being too large at over 90,000 square feet.

It is interesting that H&M decided to actual open such a large store given the recent change in the retail climate with people wanting smaller more intimate spaces. H&M's current strategy is to open one store per day throughout 2015. It's a very ambitious goal, but, it is unclear whether it is working.

The brand is still posting positive sales results and growth, but, their growth seems to have slowed in April and March according to Women's Wear Daily. This still has not stopped the Swedish retailer from their plans to open 400 stores across the U.S. in 2015. Despite slower growth in March and April, New York is one of H&M's top markets, so, the store is still poised to do exceptionally well.

H&M unveils 65,000 square foot location in Herald Square

All thirteen of H&M's NYC locations are successful. For their new Herald Square location, H&M plans on constructing a new entrance that will reach the subway level, connecting them to one of the three busiest subway stations in all of Manhattan. According to H&M President of North America Daniel Kulle, "it will be one of the top stores in the company."

The interior of the store is something quite impressive as well. It boasts a three story glass facade, a 35-foot-high atrium, and a dedicated 1,000 square feet for the stores first shoe department. The store will carry everything from H&M's most simple pieces like 10 dollar lace tops, to their more exclusive pieces like the 399 dollar Conscious Exclusive collection's short leather jacket. The cherry on top of the cake for the new store would have to be the new heat sensor fitting rooms which will help associates know when a customer is inside.

Last week, H&M launched its first national recruitment campaign in the wake of planning to add an additional 61 stores in America. Last year, the company helped generate 2800 new jobs by opening 62 stores stateside. March and April might not have been their best months, but things are certainly looking up for the company.