Weekday opens on London's Regent Street, Arket also debuts this week

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Aug 20, 2017

H&M kicked off a busy store launch season last week as it unveiled its new Weekday store on London’s Regent Street, near Oxford Circus.

It’s situated in a key part of the street that’s now dominated by H&M-owned chains with H&M, & Other Stores and Cos nearby and Monki around the corner on Carnaby Street. Importantly too, it’s right next door to the very first branch of brand new chain Arket that will open its doors later this week.

The 7,000 sq ft Weekday store seemed to be generating healthy foot traffic in its first few days, which bodes well for the firm’s plans to open a second, as-yet-undisclosed location in Britain this autumn.

The store reflects both the urban edge of the brand and the Scandi style that runs through much of H&M’s store design with white walls, a black floor, simple silver product rails and an open glass front. But the abundance of product inside means the overall feel is far from stark.

Key to giving the store a point of difference is the printing area that services the brand’s Zeitgeist project. This sees it each week creating a new design for T-shirts and totes reflecting current events in popular culture and society.

As Weekday gets into its stride, the fashion world’s attention now turns to Arket with the brand debut coming on Friday (August 25). With an offer likely to include homewares as well as fashion and a price point said to be just a little higher than Cos, it too is likely to see plenty of footfall in its early days.

The opening will be followed by Arket’s second store, which debuts in Copenhagen on September 1.