After testing the waters with a red-themed pop-up store on rue de Turenne in 2024, H&M is now establishing a permanent presence in Paris’s stylish and historic Marais district. On September 4, the Swedish fashion giant is opening a 1,000-square-meter concept store at 43 rue des Francs-Bourgeois (4th arrondissement). The store marks a retail evolution for the brand and signals its intent to move upmarket in France. FashionNetwork spoke with Pär Lindbäck, H&M’s sales director for France, Belgium and Luxembourg, about the new strategy.

“The Marais is a lively and strategic area, with a strong cultural and tourist appeal. It’s also a creative and inspiring district, which fits perfectly with H&M’s evolution towards a more fashionable and cutting-edge identity,” says Pär Lindbäck. He notes the district sees “a pedestrian flow of up to 22,000 visitors a day, which represents both high visibility and significant customer potential.”

Another advantage, according to Lindbäck, is the area’s commercial dynamism on Sundays—“unlike most Parisian districts, which close on that day—giving retailers an extra shopping day.”

Spread across three floors, the concept store—located next to Uniqlo, Fursac and Sessùn—carries curated selections of H&M’s women’s, men’s, lingerie, accessories and beauty collections. The assortment includes very few basics, which are offered only to complete a silhouette. Instead, the focus is on limited-edition drops and event-based lines, such as the premium H&M Studio collection, the recently launched H&M Atelier line for men, and a key collaboration with Belgian designer Glenn Martens.

This store will now be the exclusive location in France for H&M’s more upscale offerings, replacing the rue La Fayette store in Paris, which remains open but no longer hosts these lines. Additionally, H&M’s second-hand initiative, Pre-Loved, will have its second physical outlet in the country at this Marais location.

Designed entirely in-house, the space features a clean, minimalist aesthetic with natural tones and sharp lines. In the inner courtyard—described as “a meeting place between the brand and its community”—H&M plans to host cultural, musical and style-focused events.

For the first time in France, the company is introducing automatic checkouts equipped with RFID technology to streamline the shopping experience. This includes instant item reading, faster transactions and improved stock management. The store will also offer click-and-collect services.

H&M now operates seven retail locations in Paris, including a recently opened corner at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, dedicated to promoting its new Adorables children’s collection. While the brand once had a broader footprint in the capital, it has scaled back in recent years, closing locations such as rue de Rennes and the Champs-Élysées.

Is H&M’s Paris retail network now considered mature? “Opening a store in the Marais is a strong symbol of our determination to remain relevant, accessible and inspiring, in a sustainable way. We’re constantly working to optimize our store base and locations,” says Lindbäck. Renovations are a key focus. At Forum des Halles, in the heart of the city, H&M’s flagship—its most profitable store globally—has just undergone a major redesign. The Beaugrenelle location is also undergoing a refresh.

H&M entered the French market in 1998 and currently operates nearly 170 stores across the country. “In France, our priority is not to multiply openings or accumulate square meters, but to ensure that each store offers the right experience, in the right place,” the manager explains.

The Marais store is a pilot project. “Of course, if our customers react positively, we’ll consider extending this concept in the future. But for now, our objective is to focus all our efforts on the success of this boutique.”

The launch comes amid a downturn for the H&M Group—which also owns & Other Stories, Cos and Arket. In the second quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, the group reported a 5% decline in sales, down to 56.7 billion Swedish crowns (approximately €5.14 billion), while net profit decreased 22% to 3.96 billion crowns (approximately €360 million).