IF YOU GO
WHAT: H&M, a clothing store featuring men's, women's and children's clothes as well as accessories and lingerie
WHERE: 7140 Foundry Row in Liberty Twp.
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
The debut of H&M at Liberty Center saw throngs of shoppers turn out hours in advance to be among the first to enter the 29,000-square-foot, two-level store.
Among the 300 or so shoppers soaking up the party-like atmosphere, complete with deejays on both levels, was Kim Reber, of West Chester Twp., who showed up three-and-half hours before H&M’s noon opening to be the first in line.
“I just wanted to get here and take advantage of it since I have three girls,” she said, referring to her three daughters, ages 8, 10 and 13. “They have some really neat clothes and I like that they include kids in it. I’ve got my (13-year-old) daughter with me … so she’s going to tell me what she wants.”
H&M’s garment collecting program allows customers to earn a 15-percent-off voucher good for their next purchase. Those donated clothes are then recycled and repurposed.
“We’re all sustainability … as well as the best fashions at the best price,” said Patrick Shaner, U.S. communications expansion specialist for H&M.
Each H&M store is different, and the new Liberty Center location, the 16th Ohio location for the retailer, offers collections for women, men, young women, and young men, plus separate “store within a store” sections for accessories, lingerie, maternity and its plus-size line. The Liberty Center location also carries H&M’s children’s collection, with sizes from newborn to 14 years.
“It’s very much dependent on the area, the customer-base,” Shaner said. “We put a lot of time and effort making sure that we’re giving the customers in the area what they want.”
Ashley Bess, of Monroe, who used to drive about 40 minutes to H&M’s Dayton-area location, said she waited in line for two hours for the Liberty Center opening because she likes H&M’s style.
“I like the fact that my son and I can dress alike because they have the same patterns for adults as they do for kids,” she said. “They have more variety (here), I can tell that already. It definitely (upholds) the quality of the Liberty Center mall.”
Ranked number 21 on Interbrand’s list of 100 Best Global Brands and selected by Great Place to Work as a top 25 Best Multinational Workplace, the retailer added 30 jobs to the area’s economy with the opening of the Liberty Center store.
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