Chinese fast fashion brand to take over mega Hong Kong H&M store

Published Fri, Mar 27, 2026 · 09:55 AM

[HONG KONG] Chinese fast fashion brand W.Management is set to take over a large store space in Hong Kong previously occupied by Sweden’s Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), according to sources familiar with the matter, as a wave of mainland retailers seek to tap the city’s retail rebound.

W.Management will pay more than HK$2 million (S$328,346) a month for the roughly 30,000-square-foot space in the Causeway Bay shopping district, accounting for about two-thirds of the former H&M flagship, the sources said, asking not to be identified discussing private matters.

The remaining space at the Fashion Walk mall owned by Hang Lung Properties will be leased to other businesses, the sources said. H&M, which had been renting the store since 2015, paid HK$10 million monthly at the peak of Hong Kong’s retail boom. The rent later declined to less than HK$4 million after the Covid-19 pandemic, the sources said.

W.Management and Hang Lung did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At its peak, H&M operated 28 branches across the city, but only one remains today after it exited Fashion Walk last month.

W.Management’s arrival adds to a series of Chinese brands taking up prime locations in Hong Kong, seeing it as the launchpad for global expansion. Other mainland Chinese brands snapping up well-placed storefronts in the city include Laopu Gold, which took over a former Burberry shop in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2023 and rented another major store in Central’s high-end IFC mall last year.

Perfumery To Summer opened its first branch in the city in Causeway Bay last year, while Mao Geping Cosmetics chose the luxury Harbour City mall for its debut.

For global labels in Hong Kong, which is only just recovering from a slowdown caused by years of political and Covid-19 turmoil, the competition from mainland retailers represents a fresh challenge. Although a recent stock market rebound and improving property prices have helped boost some consumer confidence, headwinds remain: Many residents prefer travelling and shopping elsewhere, especially in the neighbouring Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Founded in 2023, W.Management, known for its large and social media-friendly stores, has generated a lot of buzz, as well as its policy of hiring tall, stylish people as shop assistants. Some of its new shop launches in mainland China drew hundreds of young customers queueing up to enter the branches.

The brand currently has more than 30 stores across mainland China, including in top cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. BLOOMBERG