Expanding Swedish fashion retailer H&M (H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB) will open its first Wellington store at the Queensgate shopping centre in Lower Hutt this year.
Centre manager Stride Property Group’s Shopping Centres General Manager, Roy Stansfield, says the announcement marked an important milestone in a large project, which had been a long time in the works.
“We’re incredibly excited that a world-renowned brand like H&M has chosen Queensgate as the location for its first Wellington store.
“It’s testament to the standard of the centre and the opportunities in the region as a whole.
“Customers & retailers alike have been curious about the works going on in the centre as we prepare for H&M’s opening, so we’re very happy to be able to finally confirm who this new tenant is.”
Stride hasn’t confirmed the store’s opening date yet.
The Diversified NZ Property Trust, which Stride manages, bought the former Westfield mall from Scentre Group (NZ) Ltd last August.
Part of it was closed after the Kaikoura earthquake in November and a portion of the carpark and its cinema complex were demolished.
After a partial reopening, the centre was fully reopened in April.
H&M has a big international expansion programme underway, with 500 openings completed or planned this year.
