H&M plans three stores for Seattle
January 14th, 2008Last week The Seattle Times confirmed that Swedish “high fashion low cost” giant H&M plans to open not one, but three stores in the greater Seattle area:
- University Village (which we knew)
- Southcenter mall in Tukwila (their largest store in Seattle)
- 520 Pike Tower downtown (great news)
The article points out that the chain stores are expected to open in Autumn 2008 instead of Spring. This makes the wait for Seattleites a little longer, but is well worth it if three stores are in the pipeline instead of the original one.
After all the hype I’ve created I hope that the Seattle stores are high on H&M’s priorities. I’ve shopped at H&M in Asia, Europe and America and the stores are not created equal. As is true for all fashion chains, the best merchandise goes to their top stores. There’s only one way to find out, so roll on Autumn and let’s see what they have to offer.
January 14th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Will be great to see what they have to offer. Now we need a Mango!
January 14th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I’ve definitely noticed the difference in stock even among the 4 stores I’ve been to in Toronto. I’m curious - based on the stores you’ve visited, which do you think they consider their top locations?
January 14th, 2008 at 10:00 am
We have a Mango (MNG) Joey! It’s in Belle Square and it’s been there for about 18 months. It’s a good MNG. We need a Zara and a French Connection store. Although French Connection is available in Nordstrom and Macys at the moment, and all of the above chains are just over the border in Vancouver. I do love to shop in Canada.
The Tukwila store will be the largest and possibly the best stocked Rachel, but then it might not be a top store if you know what I mean. For example, the Nordstrom Flagship downtown is by far the best Nordies in town in terms of merchandise, but it’s not the largest. I shall be visiting all three H&M’s as soon as they open, but the one down town shall be the one I frequent the most because it’s on my doorstep.
January 14th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
After shopping at H&M in Sweden, I’m 90% sure they hoard the best stock for themselves :p. There are almost as many H&Ms as there are Starbucks in NYC, but the best one for me is the one on 51st street and 5th ave. It has a lot of much swankier competition, so it makes sense.
January 14th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
You might be right Maya! I enjoyed shopping in the two Swedish H&M’s enormously and I love the NYC H&M that’s on 5th Ave (quite the hot spot). But I think that my favourite H&M is the one on Kalver Straat in Amsterdam just because it’s not insanely huge and it’s relativly neat at the best of times.
January 14th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
My first experience with H&M was in Vienna a several years ago. They had 3 stores on the Kartna Strasse (their shopping mile) and each had a different flavor with some different product. There was a reason to go into each store. Last October I visited a mega store in Chicago it was much bigger than the Vienna stores. There were tons of stuff, but it felt a bit “cheaper” than the Vienna stores. I am looking foward to when they come to Washington. Seattle and U Village are close to me.
January 14th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I’ve only been to the H&M in DC and I didn’t like the experience that much. The racks were so packed with stuff it was hard to manuver. I’m looking forward to the new downtown Seattle store, though. I’d love to give it a second chance.
(P.S. I’ve always called it Bel-Square, not Belle Square. Potato, po-tah-toh…)
January 15th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Angie - this is one of your best posts yet! At least as far as good news is concerned. WOOHOO! I’m thrilled for the UVillage store because they have fantastic kids clothes that are hip and affordable, so I’m hoping they stock up the kids’ lines in the Village. I’m equally thrilled to shop at the downtown store for myself - if it’s going in the Ken Cole space, hopefully they’ll bring some of their “hipper” fashions in there.
I still haven’t made it over to MNG - but a Zara in town would be fabulous. Then I wouldn’t have to SPEND MORE by shopping in Canada (how sad that that is a true statement!).
thanks for the updates angie!
January 15th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!
I have been hoping that they would realize that we love fashion out here too - I am doing a happy dance! I do wish that there was one a little further north, but I’ll take what I can get. The Tukwilla store is a bit of a surprise… I would have expected Bellevue or Alderwood. However, with this news Downtown will be a destination again!
January 18th, 2008 at 1:31 am
This is VERY EXCITING NEWS. I’m looking forward to my first shopping trip
to H & M. SInce they have been expanding at Southcenter in Tukwila, I was hoping that a store like this was going to in. I also am doing a happy dance, and so will the other shopoholics in Seattle’s south end!