Location, H&M\'s first priority
Location, H&M\'s first priority
H&M, Hennes & Mauritz, one of the world's well-known fashion retailers, known for offering fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way, will open doors to its first Indian flagship store in New Delhi this fall.
Embracing a retail area of over 25,000 sq ft, the first H&M store will be situated in the Capital's prime shopping centre, Select CITYWALK in Saket. Offering fashion for women, men, teenagers and children, the store will present a wide selection of latest trends, timeless classics and inspirations for customers to create their personal style.
Retailer Media caught up with Dhatri Bhatt, Head - Communications at H&M, Hennes & Mauritz India Retail Pvt. Ltd, at their press showroom, for a brief chat on the brand's late entry, its sustainable and quality product offerings at decent prices, the brand's potential to open 50 stores in India and everything in between.
Excerpts from the chat.  
 
 
Talk to us about H&M's India's strategy?
H&M is coming to India this fall. We will be opening our first store within 25,000 sq ft area over two storeys in Select CITYWALK, New Delhi. We are very excited to come to India because there is so much potential in retail today in India and we believe that this is the right time to be here.
A lot of your rival brands are already in India. Don't you think you are a little late with your entry here?
We don't see it as a delay. When you are launching in a new country there are a lot of regulations and a lot of different procedures that one needs to follow and that takes time. There is nothing abnormal about it and we think today is the right time and we are here!
How do you think the Indian consumers are going to respond to H&M collections?
I have been so impressed with the colours that I see today, because these colours are so Indian. The oranges, the camel shades, the blues that you will see here are all Indian colours. It's not muted, but it's exactly what Indian customers want today. We are trying to mix these luxurious fabrics with a sporty feel. I think the customers are ready today, they want to buy global trends and we have it available.
What is that one category where H&M is strongest? Is it men's or women's?
We have a very wide range of collection for men, women, teenagers and kids. Fashion and quality at the best prices is what H&M is known for. One can be sure that every category that we have, there will be top quality fabrics, top fashion and it will be at a very good price, made in a very sustainable manner.
A lot of big brands have entered here in a partnership model. What is the strategy of H&M entering into the market on their own?
We are looking at 50 stores over a period of time and the way I see it with the growing retail infrastructure, we should be able to achieve good locations. When we open in a new market, best locations are our first priority. So, I think we will be able to achieve that and will stick to what our plans are.
Do you think Indian consumers are open to accepting global fashion?
The collection we are showcasing today is the H&M studio collection, which is designed by our core designers based out of Sweden, led by Ann-Sofie Johansson. She is our creative advisor at H&M. These are really the key looks for the season. We at H&M inspire people to dress their personality and that is the reason why everybody will find something that suits their personality.
What are pricing strategies for the Indian market?
So, all these collections were shown at the Paris Fashion Week and this is the same collection which is going to be in stores at very good prices. The fact that we have been able to make a runway collection reachable for the audience itself says that we have very good prices.
Could you talk to us about the sourcing of the materials? Will the material here be the same that the company uses everywhere else?
Of course! Our fabrics are exactly the same anywhere in the world. On the sourcing front, we don't produce garments on our own, but tie up with factories and they produce garments for us. Our sourcing happens a lot from Asia, Europe, Japan, Turkey and pretty much the same style is made in these factories for the whole world.
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