H&M Goes Big in the Big Apple

H&M’s new Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan is the fast-fashion giant’s largest store in the world, a whopping 57,000 sq. ft. — the size of a football field.



The interior is bright and buzzing with energy. Just inside the entry, mannequins are arranged on a tiered staircase display, echoing a fashion-show runway.



Beyond its sheer size, the store is a standout for a number of reasons. Let’s look at five.



The overall look: Befitting the Fifth Avenue locale, this is the Swedish retailer’s most upscale and fully realized store to date, with green and white marble tiles, herringbone woodwork, chandeliers, walls of mirrors, leather furniture and stylized mannequin groupings. There are even tufted-fabric walls in the fitting rooms.



The product assortment: With six floors of merchandise, this is the first H&M in the United States to carry all of the retailer’s assorted product categories under one roof. Along with the brand’s signature on-trend women’s and men’s threads and accessories, the lineup includes maternity, newborn, special sizes and cosmetics. There are also fully realized childrenswear and home goods departments, and in-shop stores for accessories, footwear and lingerie.



The openness: Featuring an impressive all-glass wraparound façade, the huge store has an open feel. A soaring four-story atrium is set off with a 26-ft. by 20-ft., state-of-the-art LED screen.



Free concierge shopping service: In a first for H&M, a personal-shopper service is available on an appointment basis — and at no charge.



It won’t be the biggest H&M for very long: The brand plans to debut an even larger outpost, a 63,000-sq.-ft. behemoth in Manhattan’s bustling Herald Square, by year-end.