First London, then the rest of the country
The Kingston store, in South London, will occupy the 400 sqm spot fashion chain French Connection once had. The other store will apparently be opened in the heart of London, in Victoria station, according to Retail Week.
The two stores are the first of 10 stores Hema hopes to open in and around London, after which the Dutch concern wants to expand into the rest of the country. B&M Bargains and Poundland are cited as Hema’s biggest competitors in the United Kingdom.
Hema already has more than 600 stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and France, while it has also confirmed it will soon open stores in Spain.
