H&M using Amsterdam to test clothing rentals, second hand market

Fashion retailer H&M is going to experiment with new services in its Amsterdam stores. The Swedish group hopes to respond to demand in the capital by renting out clothes and a store for second-hand clothes. Amsterdam is the testing ground for city-oriented "shopping experiences" that should give H&M stores a new function in times of shopping online. 

The rise of online shopping forces retail chains to rethink the role of their brick-and-mortar locations. Retail companies often end up with stores where customers also have something to experience in addition to buying products.

According to H&M, the renewed strategy for Amsterdam came after extensive research into local needs. The chain is opening a second-hand shop in Amsterdam-Noord, a neighborhood with many students, where customers can buy and sell used clothing. A branch in Kalverstraat will rent out clothing items for parties or the Christmas period, for example. You will also find products from local brands in Amsterdam stores. 

A spokeswoman said that Amsterdam is the first city where H&M mapped out the shopping strategy down to a district level. The intention is to respond more to the local wishes in other European cities, but that result may be very different than in the Netherlands. "The needs in Berlin may be very different. It won't be a copy-paste."