H&M is Taking Over Herald Center With Largest Store to Date

Move over Macy's, H&M is taking over Herald Square. The fast retailer announced it's biggest flagship store will open next fall at Herald Center. Af 63,000 square-feet and 4 stories of retail, this store will be the largest in chain's fleet and unlike any other unit.

The four stories will offer a combination of women's, men's, sport, maternity, plus sizes, accessories,cosmetics, children's - from newborns to kids age 14 - and home.

The Swedish retailer currently operates two stores within blocks of the new flagship - one on 34th Street and Broadway, and one other on 34th Street and Seventh Avenue. The company has no plans of closing either store or converting them to other concepts at the moment.

But that doesn't really come as a suprise because H&M has used this cluster strategy before, both in San Francisco and SoHo. "There's a lot of traffic in that area," Daniel Kulle, president of H&M North America, told WWD. "As we've done before, we're keeping all the stores open in close proximity to each other."

H&M has been aggressively expanding in the U.S. In March, the retailer announced it was opening 10 new stores in cities like as Chicago, Washington, New Orleans and Honolulu.

The Herald Center flagship will be the biggest H&M store worldwide, taking the title from the previously announced 57,000-square-foot unit opening on Fifth Avenue and 48th Street. H&M is also planning to open a 42,500-square-foot store at 4 Times Square by the end of 2013.

Kulle discussed the difference between the Herald Center and Times Square neighborhoods. "The Herald Square location is a very strong shopping district with both national and international retailers," he said. "The Times Square location is a very strong international tourist destination with global visibility.

"We are proud to continue our unprecedented expansion in New York City with this groundbreaking Herald Square location," said Kulle. "Locking in our 14th store in Manhattan shows our continued commitment to growth in the New York City market. Thirty-Fourth Street has proven to be one of the most successful retail corridors for the brand after having operated two stores there for over 10 years. With close to 300 stores across the country as well our new Shop Online, the H&M anchor store at this historic intersection will be one of our greatest accomplishments to date."