H&M Serving Up Style... or putting lipstick on Fast Fashion?

Wrinkly thin fabrics. Shoddy Stitching. One time wear. These are all things I think of when someone says H&M. From a business perspective, working with such a brand doesn't feel ethical. Creating strategies to encourage people to buy more disposable clothes. The brand seems to be hyper aware of their perception problem and taking steps to be "customer centric". 

Forbes reports that they recently launched a new "Rotating Style Destination experience" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It will be an incubator of sorts, where H&M determines what resonates with their customers. 

My interest in this is multifaceted. Firstly, curious about customers return to brick and mortar after the pandemic years. The retail in my own neighborhood was decimated. Experiential activations like this, making stores more "showrooms" for brand events seem to be the future of these physical spaces. 

Secondly, interested due to a recent company acquisition of a Digital Experiential company. A high-profile brand presence like this feels made for online experiential events. 

I'm also interested in the future forward retail tech being deployed - mobile payment from anywhere in store and smart mirrors making recommendations. 

While I certainly am not "rooting" for H&M, props to their marketing team!

 H&M Is Opening A Year-Long Rotating Style Destination In Williamsburg, Brooklyn (forbes.com)