H&M to unveil first new-look store in UK at Festival Place

H&M is to give its store at Basingstoke's Festival Place a make-over revealing a brand new look and feel in a UK first. 

The move follows the global fashion giant's renewal of its lease with AEW at the Hampshire shopping destination. It is promising a "very different interior look-and-feel to other H&M stores, with a focus on creating a modern and relevant shopping experience" and is set to open in the summer. More details about the store's features will be revealed in the "near future".

Toni Galli, Country Manager for H&M UK & IE said “We are extremely excited to be reopening our H&M Basingstoke store in Festival Place with a first of its kind new look-and-feel this summer. Our aim is always to provide our customers with the best shopping experience possible and we are confident that our Basingstoke store will offer exactly this. We cannot wait to share more details with our customers in the near future!”

Russell Jewell, Head of Private Equity Funds at AEW, added: “The lease renewal by H&M, the second largest clothing retailer in the world, is a great endorsement for the transformation that has taken place at Festival Place under AEW’s asset management. The strong trading in the years since it opened has resulted in a UK first with Festival Place selected for the new H&M design.

"The fact that H&M and many other brands have renewed their leases, at a time of significant change in the retail sector, is very encouraging. The newly fitted-out store is due to reopen in early summer this year by which time, we would hope that the Covid lockdowns will be behind us meaning customers can return to a safe and appealing shopping experience.”

Festival Place covers 1.1 million sq ft of retail and leisure space and features brands such as Marks & Spencer, River Island, Next, SuperDry, TKMaxx, Pandora, Jack Wills, JD Sports and FatFace, as well as sports centre, cinema, trampoline park and other attractions.