Store gallery: H&M installs entire offer in mammoth Cardiff store

Once upon a time, visiting a branch of H&M meant travelling to a big city. In fairness, that was some time ago. Today, H&M has 243 stores across the UK.

Some of the stores are very big indeed and London’s Oxford and Regent Streets boast multiple outposts, each with a slightly different offer.

But in spite of this impressive national coverage, until last week, there was not a single H&M store in the country that encompassed the whole breadth of the retailer’s proposition.

This state of affairs has been put to rights however, following the opening of a mammoth, two-floor, 46,000 sq ft, store in Cardiff.

Expansive scale

H&M is no newcomer to the city – there has been a branch in situ since 1999 – but by relocating to the St David’s Centre, the store has doubled in size.

Carlos Duarte, H&M’s UK and Republic of Ireland managing director, says: “We have always had a good business [in Cardiff]. We’re interested in bigger stores, but size does depend on availability.

“We’re definitely going to do this in other cities if the opportunity comes”

Carlos Duarte, H&M

“Cardiff is an important market for us and one where we still see a lot opportunity for us as a brand.”

But what makes this outlet different from others in the chain and does its size alone mark it out as better?

“It’s the first store in the UK in which we will be able to show the total offer from the company,” says Duarte. “This means we can show home, beauty, sport and fashion, as well as kids.”

The surprising point is that H&M has never done this before. Until now, shoppers seeking to enjoy all the elements the Swedish giant has to offer have had to schlep from store to store. Now it’s all under one roof – and standing on the first level of the St David’s Centre, this looks pretty much like any other of its big mall-based outposts.

The store has two floors, with a balcony on the first displaying moody mannequins positioned to face the approaching customers. In front is a sparkly red LED-lit H&M logo.

The entrance features a triple-height frontage with a window on either side. Although this suggests that it is a large shop, little clue is provided about the scale inside from the mall interior entrance.

“At this scale, it is easy to overwhelm shoppers. Not so in Cardiff”

John Ryan

Step in and the same applies. While this is a deep store, the immediate impression is of a substantial women’s fashion floor which is densely merchandised.

Look a little more closely however and the back of the shop gradually hovers into view.

The store seems to go on and on and moving past the sequined Christmas jumpers – displayed on low tables at the front – there are, among other things, a denim wall, the H&M sports department and, right at the back, the tills.

The cash desk is signified by a bank of overhead bulbs, creating the impression of a Hollywood walk of fame for those in the business of spending cash. To the left is the beauty department.

New ventures

Beauty is new to H&M this year and there is a large area devoted to the category, including nail painting, which was being offered as a value-added experience during the opening weekend.

The emphasis here is on getting a lot of product out per sq ft. When the unit price is around a fiver each, density is essential if profit is to be a reality. As such, the mid-shop fixture for compacts features five illuminated shelves.

The perimeter wall that backs the department has seven backlit shelves while a white neon sign reading ‘beauty’ stands proud of it.

This is a simple affair but, as is the case with the best merchandising, it is the product that the shoppers see rather than the equipment.

To the left and framed by a pair of white pillars is H&M Home.

In essence this is a white box area with soft furnishings, from sheets and duvets to gold-coloured candles and towels.

Homewares are not new to H&M, but this department is bigger than shoppers familiar with the range will have encountered elsewhere.

For opening weekend, customers spending £50 or more could have their purchases monogrammed, thanks to a six-thread sewing machine towards the back of the department.

Mention should also be made of the shoe salon on this floor, which is white and functional allowing the mostly black products to do the talking.

Upstairs, it’s menswear and kids. The vast men’s area covers everything from suits to casual clothing and is generally darker than downstairs.

Black wood tables positioned on grey rugs feature throughout, while a large lightbox on the perimeter wall lifts the somewhat low-key graphics package.

Next to this is the kidswear department where lighting levels and brighter fixtures provide a change of mood. As in the rest of the shop, this is about volume and density, while still allowing customers views through the space.

Further growth

The interesting point about the store is that while it is big it doesn’t feel so, perhaps owing to the rooms that have been created both by the use of equipment and the position of the pillars across the interior.

At this scale, it is easy to overwhelm shoppers and to leave them feeling that they are in a barn of the kind that used to be found on edge-of-town retail parks. Not so in Cardiff and the two floors ensure that ceiling heights are such that there is nothing cavernous about the interior.

Duarte’s intention is to do more of the same in other locations: “We’re definitely going to do this in other cities if the opportunity comes,” he says.

On expansion – three stores opened last week – he is equally clear: “For next year we will continue at the same pace. We are constantly developing our strategy and adding new elements to our offer, so now I wouldn’t put a stop on things.”

Cardiff may be the biggest branch for now, but this situation may not hold good forever. Even bigger stores seem to be on the horizon.