H&M marked its grand return to Shanghai ‘s all-important Huaihai Road retail artery on Monday with the opening of “House of H&M,” the Swedish retailer’s latest concept flagship.

The six-story corner store holds special meaning for H&M as it was the company’s first mainland China store when the brand entered the market in 2007.

In 2022, the retailer decided to close the store following prolonged backlash after the Xinjiang cotton controversy and weak consumer demand post- COVID-19 lockdown .

Three years later, the retailer leased the space back from local real estate company Yimin Group at an annual rent of 25.5 million renminbi, or $3.5 million, for the first five years, according to local media reports.

Construction for the store began in early April, transforming the gray br

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