What you need to know about the new direct marketing guidance note
Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
H&M debuts first SA store on the red carpet
20 Oct 2015
On Thursday, 15 October the highly anticipated H&M VIP shopping evening had finally arrived. The international retailer opened its doors to a select few at the V&A Waterfront, marking the launch of South Africa's first flagship store. Open to the public as of Saturday, 17 October, the store boasts two floors of fashion catering for women, men and children. Approximately 4,700m² in size, Cape Town is now home to one of the largest H&M stores in the world!
Arriving at the launch, the red carpet lead us to the entrance of the store where we were greeted by grandly enlarged and strategically positioned H&M branding, making for the perfect photo-op. Celebrities, bloggers and media could be seen bursting with excitement to enter the store. The likes of Sue Duminy, Jimmy Nevis and Jo Ann Strauss, as well as well-known South Africa bloggers Jade Roberts aka Justjade and Baketheblog's Aisha Baker were seen snapping some creative shots in the store, which I always find interesting to watch.
As we walked into the store we were greeted by warm smiles while champagne (Appletiser for the non-drinkers) and canapés made the rounds. I personally love the fact that they catered for everybody, a quality that the H&M label also possesses. One of the highlights of the evening was having the opportunity to listen to the talented DJ Zinhle, Pascal & Pearce and DJ Ready D aptly setting the mood of the night for all shoppers. Their tunes got everybody's feet tapping and body swaying at some point during their shopping experience.
Various shop assistants were eager to hand out grey shopper bags to make the shopping experience a comfortable one. These made life so much easier as you didn't have a number of items in your hand while browsing (perhaps an idea other stores should adopt?) We were geared to shop up a storm but left with only two items each, sadly realising that a busy store and queues for fitting rooms would not allow for more. Nevertheless H&M is not going anywhere anytime soon so we definitely will be back to make up for the shopping loss.
The store's lighting is bright and beautiful, enhancing the items on display in a way that draws you to the items that you know were just made for you. The lights coupled with the vibe create the feeling of walking on a runway surrounded by apparel essentials desired by many. When browsing the accessories section I couldn't help but notice the halo lighting they had above their bags - an eye-catching and cleverly positioned feature above one of my many fashion fetishes.
Ladies, I'm sure you are familiar with the saying "suffer for beauty"? Boy, were there a number of ladies and men who dressed to impress (we didn't expect anything less). I admired the beautiful choice of shoes so many of the ladies adorned, but also noticed that platforms were not a good idea for those of us attempting to shop 'til we drop!
H&M caters for everybody, whether it's an outfit for that special evening spent with your loved ones or a last minute business meeting. Allowing you to shop for casual and classy attire, the brand provides affordable, quality fashion all under one roof. For all those who will be in or near Sandton City in November, be sure to catch the launch of the H&M Sandton store - if it's anything like the Cape Town launch it's sure to be a show-stopper!
