Counter-intuitive layout, cluttered stock and awful lighting- The Oxford Circus H&M had been a disgrace for far too long. So in March 2013 the Scandinavian monster chain decided to get its flagship house in order and give thisfantastically well-located store a much-needed makeover. At last.
The jumbled three floors have been replaced with a jumbo six floors of well-organised stock with a much more sophisticated store design. Thought has been put into creating a pleasant shopping environment - changing rooms are vast, and the music has clearly been curated by someone with a taste for credible indie.
This has been designated a pure-fashion store- so it's out with H&M's kidswear and homewares, which in a way is a shame. However, it does mean that the focus of the store is clear, and its target audience the kind of fast-fashion gobbling teens who spill out of the nearby Topshop. In fact Topshop's influence is apparent in a few key areas, primarily a ground floor edit by blogger Susie Bubble - not disimilar to the one seen in the Topshop 'Edited by' are opposite just a few months ago. There is also a nice designated shoe boutique, with velvet banquettes and classy shop fit that is a real cut above their usual racks of slip-ons.
While it's a vast improvement on its former guise, this is not H&M's best store (that honour goes to the Knightsbridge outpost). However, real effort has been put into make it a more civilised shop- and that makes it probably the best one on Oxford Street.