The New Storefront Introduces Tech-Powered Retail Experiences and a Secondhand Fashion Program
H&M has announced the opening of a new store location in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The store represents a new retail concept for the brand, offering a curated selection, technologically enhanced retail features, and a shop-in-shop featuring curated secondhand pieces. Located at 591 Broadway, the near-10,000 square foot store was designed by the brand’s in-house architecture team and takes inspiration from the aesthetic of the neighborhood’s renowned art galleries.
“This new location marks our return to SoHo, a neighborhood which continues to be an epicenter of fashion and style,” says Carlos Duarte, President of H&M Americas. “We’ve been testing new store concepts in NYC, such as our recent H&M Williamsburg store experience, with the aim of building the best, elevated shopping experience for our customers. We’re excited to bring H&M SoHo to life through curated, trend driven products as well as a new secondhand offering, all in a sleek and inspiring store that fits seamlessly into the fabric of the neighborhood.”
The assortment of womenswear has been curated to mirror the neighborhood with trend-driven products, while still offering a diverse assortment. The store’s “Pre-Loved” shop-in-shop will offer secondhand garments, the first H&M store in North America to do so. From February 7th, New York based seller of designer vintage clothing and accessories James Veloria will also curate select pieces to add to the “Pre-Loved” offering.
“After premiering our first U.S. secondhand platform “H&M Pre-Loved” online last year, we are thrilled to build on this offering by launching H&M SoHo with the first secondhand shop-in-shop in North America,” says Linda Li, Head of Customer Activation and Marketing, H&M Americas. “Providing our customers the fashion they crave in a new store that is inspiring, and tech driven, is exactly where we want to be as a brand to achieve our goal of liberating fashion for the many.”
The new location will include tech-driven service features for a seamless shopping experience. Along with the option for mobile checkout from anywhere in the store, customers can enjoy smart mirrors in fitting rooms that identify customers’ products, including the size and color, and provide personalized product or styling recommendations. The mirrors also allow for items to be requested and brought to fitting room cabins by a sales associate. Opting for in-store pick up of online orders at one of H&M SoHo’s lockers also offers an easy and time saving option for New Yorkers on the go. Behind the scenes, the store runs on RFID-enabled systems, which allow for stock accuracy and location, plus faster and more efficient replenishment from stockroom to the sales floor.
