H&M opens first ‘hyper-local’ flagship store in Berlin

IN PICTURES H&M has opened the doors of its first ‘hyper-local’ flagship in Berlin’s creative Mitte district as the Swedish fast-fashion giant experiments with becoming “more personal and locally relevant.”

The 300-square-metre store is one of H&M's smallest and offers curated womenswear, selected external brands, vintage pieces and a showroom for customers. As well as stocking fashion from H&M’s assortment, the flagship will also offer a number of selected external brands, most of them Berlin based.

Additionally, the space will regularly offer events such as lectures, fashion talks and yoga for its customers, while upcoming trends and looks will be presented in its public showroom.

Local is in trend

This trend of brands downsizing and creating more localised stores based around customer engagement is one that is growing as consumers increasingly look for more personal shopping experiences. In May, US luxury department store chain Nordstrom said its future was in smaller local-stores that carry little inventory and instead focus on customer experience.

"It’s a test for us as a global retailer to elaborate around how we can be more personal and locally relevant,” said Anna Bergare, business developer at the Laboratory H&M Group.

Thorsten Mindermann, country manager H&M Germany, added: "This is a unique location and it has served as a meeting place for Berliners for over a hundred years, a tradition we want to honour. We aim to offer a neighbourhood store serving as a platform for local and global talents within retail, culture and art.”

Scroll down to see photos of the new flagship

Photos: H&M