H&M Regent Street relaunches with UK Rental debut and Beauty Bar

H&M Group may have closed a number of its UK stores (including its Arket branch in the Bluewater mall last weekend), but it's also focusing on enhancing its estate and on Thursday reopened its H&M Regent Street flagship with new services in-store.

The revamped location offers "a world-leading interior look and feel, as well as a host of new circular and customer services, including H&M Rental, Beauty Bar, one of Europe's biggest generative artworks and an elevated fashion experience celebrating style". Customers visiting the ‘new’ store "will notice a welcoming entrance with fashion curated and presented in an inspirational way where digital elements create an immersive experience, as well as a warmer, more welcoming interior and relaxed environment," the company said.

The rental area will be key and represents the debut of the concept for the retailer in the UK.H&M Rental offers both female and male customers the option to rent clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories selected from special H&M collections and archive pieces in assorted sizes. Customers can rent items for a maximum of seven days and can view the assortment on the H&M app, although the exact offer will only be available in the Regent Street store. To use the service, customers must also first become H&M Members.

The company added that other sustainability features have been "built into the foundation" of the Regent Street store, with the addition of rental coming along with its Garment Collection and Recycling service. This allows customers to donate any unwanted clothes and textiles, by any brand, while shopping in-store. All donated items are recycled with nothing going to landfill. To encourage uptake, H&M offers points in addition to a digital voucher. The Beauty Bar meanwhile aims to maximise profits from a key product sector. Launched in partnership with Dashl, customers can get various treatments including nails, brows, and lashes, "adding to the customer value in-store". All treatments can be booked through Dashl.

And the generative artwork LED screen should make a major impact. It's one of Europe's biggest indoor LED screens with double 4k resolution. It will be a creative display feature allowing shoppers to "interact with the digital technology in real time". The artwork is a system that "continuously evolves throughout the day, responding to customer activity on the escalator".The store also features Click and Collect and Self-Service stations and a wide-ranging product assortment, including the still-new H&M Move concept.Meanwhile, the kidswear department will allow visitors "to test their playful augmented reality layer". Customers can scan different characters, which come to life around the store "through several fun, sustainability-focused games". There's also a one-of-a-kind kids’ Lego experience with play area and full-size Lego tree "to capture and share memories, all in partnership with Lego and local charity Fairy Bricks". Chris Clare, Expansion Manager for H&M UK & Ireland said that as well as the new features, "we're also thrilled to be partnering with several of London's creative talents over opening period. By partnering with these creatives, we aim to celebrate how we’re woven into the fabric of the community, not just the clothing".The company has been in the UK since 1976 and its UK and Ireland H&M stores now add up to 190 locations.Regent Street is seen as a key destination for the firm's wider store banners with Cos, Arket, & Other Stories and H&M Home also having their own flagship branches close to each on the shopping thoroughfare.