The Oaks Mall is welcoming a new clothing store.
On June 11, Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) will open the doors to a 23,000-square-foot store. The store, which originated in Sweden, offers affordable clothing for men and women. It will accompany 22 H&M stores already in Florida.
“It’s a unique product offering to bring to Gainesville,” said the Oaks Mall marketing manager Kristal Kelly. “The closest store is either Orlando or Tallahassee, so you’re driving two to three hours. I think it will be good for the community.”
The store will be located directly across from Forever 21, Kelly said.
According to a press release, the new store will have collections ranging from ladies, men, young ladies and young men to a separate “store within a store” section for accessories, lingerie, maternity, sports apparel and a plus-size line. It will also have a children’s collection.
Alexa Penalta, a 20-year-old UF animal science junior, said the store is a good fit for the college students of Gainesville.
“Unless they are lucky enough to get money from parents, most college students probably don’t have a ton of money to spend on clothes,” Penalta said. “H&M is a store that provides trendy clothes for a decent price.”
On opening day, the store will offer the first 200 shoppers an H&M T-shirt and Access to Fashion Pass, which will be for an amount between $10 and $300, according to the press release. There will also be a garment-recycling contest at the opening where any customer who brings in a bag of clothes to be recycled will receive 15 percent off his or her next purchase and will be entered to win a free gift card.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 6/4/15]
