SOURCE / COMPANIES
H&M's Beijing flagship store set to close 'due to rent expiration'
Published: May 29, 2023 11:15 PM
People walk pass the logo of H&M at its flagship store in Sanlitun, Beijing on May 29, 2023. Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT

People walk pass the logo of H&M at its flagship store in Sanlitun, Beijing on May 29, 2023. Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT


The flagship store of Swedish apparel brand H&M in Beijing is set to close on June 11 due to the expiration of its rental contract, according to in-store signs. This closure follows the shutdown of H&M's first store in China, located in Shanghai, in June 2022.

During a visit to the H&M store at Beijing's Sanlitun shopping complex on Monday, the Global Times observed that the store had displayed signs informing customers of the impending closure. A store staff member confirmed the closure to the Global Times but did not provide any further details.

H&M's Sanlitun flagship store, which opened in 2014, was the company's 200th physical store in China. In an announcement, H&M stated that China remains one of its most important markets and pledged to adjust its online and offline store lineup to cater to Chinese consumers, as reported by Chinese news outlet jiemian.com.

The closure of the Beijing store represents another significant adjustment to H&M's strategy in the Chinese market. The first store, located on Huaihai Road in downtown Shanghai, was closed in June 2022.

Media reported that the number of H&M's store in China declined from 479 in 2020 to 360 in 2022.

H&M came under the spotlight in 2021 when the company expressed deep concern over reports of forced labor and discrimination against ethno-religious minorities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of Northwest China. This sparked anger among the Chinese population.

In addition to H&M, several other fast-moving consumer goods brands are also adjusting their marketing strategies in China. Media reports suggest that ZARA has closed offline stores in various cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong Province in southern China, as well as Yantai and Zibo in Shandong Province in eastern China over the past year.

Global Times