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Tag: Arket

  • Arket opens doors in Korea

    Arket opens doors in Korea

    H&M’s ‘Nordic lifestyle brand’ Arket has opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Seoul, South Korea.

    Located at Yeouido’s department store The Hyundai Seoul, the Arket South Korea store spans 8000sqft and features the brand’s collections of New Nordic design for men, women and children. The flagship store also houses an Arket cafe, offering vegetarian dishes, drinks, pastries and snacks.

    “Opening the new store in Seoul is an incredibly exciting step for us, as it is our first physical location outside of Europe,” said Pernilla Wohlfahrt, MD at Arket.

    The launch in South Korea is part of its strategy to expand its presence in Asia. Last month, the retailer announced that it will open its first brick-and-mortar store in China, at Beijing.

    Launched in 2017, the brand now operates more than 20 stores across major European cities, including Copenhagen, Amsterdam, London and Berlin.

  • Arket bound to open its first retail store in China this autumn

    Arket bound to open its first retail store in China this autumn

    H&M-owned Arket has announced plans to open its first physical store in China this autumn.

    The flagship store will be located in Beijing and will stock a mix of the Stockholm-based brand’s wardrobe staples and seasonal fashion drops for both women and men.

    The store will also feature an Arket cafe and stock an assortment of beauty and home items.

    “We are incredibly happy to announce our upcoming opening in Beijing and we are looking forward to finally meeting our many Chinese customers in person,” said Arket managing director Pernilla Wohlfahrt in a statement.

    “The new store gives us an opportunity to welcome people into our world and invite them to experience the rich diversity of our collections – from beautifully-made fabrics and fashion designs to nature-inspired interiors, sustainable childrenswear and contemporary Swedish cuisine.”

    The physical store is the latest step of the Nordic band’s expansion into Asia. The company made its debut into the Chinese market in August with the launch of its digital flagship store on Alibaba Group’s B2C e-commerce platform Tmall.

    In late 2020 the brand also announced plans to open its first store in South Korea early this year.

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  • New H&M retail brand revealed

    New H&M retail brand revealed

    The next new H&M retail brand will be called Arket.

    The first of the brand’s stores will open in London in late summer or early autumn this year.

    H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson said Arket will be priced above H&M. He described the concept as “simple, yet timeless and functional”.

    Fast-fashion retailer H&M told Business of Fashion that Arket – the Swedish word for “sheet of paper” – would be positioned as a “modern-day market that will offer essential products for men, women, children and home”.

    Perhaps the most surprising feature of the new store brand is that it will sell selected lines from non-H&M brands beside its own label.

    At the release of the company’s results in January,  revealed the company would launch one or two new brands this year, joining Cos, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday.

    “In 2017 we are looking forward to delivering strong collections and customer experiences and launching one or two new brands. This, combined with the ongoing improvements and our investments in the omnichannel offering, the supply chain and advanced analytics make us positive towards our opportunities for reaching our newly rephrased growth target, both in 2017 and going forward,” Persson said.

    Arket is clearly the of those new H&M retail brands.

    In an interview with BoF, Arket’s creative director Ulrika Bernhardtz described the brand’s DNA as “timeless, crisp, quality and warmth”.

    “Timeless is style beyond trend. And crisp is the counterpart to that: to be always relevant, modern and fresh. Quality is not only the feel of garments; it’s also how they are produced. Warmth is about being generous and personal.”

    An Asian launch for Arket is not imminent, with BoF reporting it will be simultaneously launched in 18 European markets this year, starting with Brussels, Copenhagen and Munich. Some stores will feature a cafe serving “new Nordic” cuisine.