We shopped at Forever 21 and H&M and saw firsthand why one store is clearly outperforming the other
We went to H&M first.
When you walk in, the store is well-lit and organized, brimming with on-trend styles.
There were quite a few shoppers browsing the store around noon on a Thursday.
The two-story location includes a men's shop on the second floor. Large television screens throughout the store broadcast H&M's latest campaigns, including its upcoming "Stranger Things" collection.
Though men's apparel comprises a comparatively smaller portion of H&M's inventory, the section was particularly busy.
H&M has continued to build out its H&M Conscious line, a collection of eco-friendly and sustainable products made out of recycled materials. Here is an H&M Conscious tag on a dress.
H&M was one of the participating brands that recently pledged to phase out cashmere by 2020, along with Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Patagonia. Reports have found that mass production of low-priced cashmere is particularly bad for the environment.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
The sale area was surprisingly small.
Though we did find a couple of additional sale areas throughout the store, with super low prices, including these jeans for $8.99.
And these T-shirts for $5.
The area near the cash wrap was tidy and organized, featuring items that made sense to H&M's core demographic.
You could also find essential items, like tights.
Next, we took the escalator down to the lower level to visit Forever 21...
... where we found ubiquitous sales ...
... and several empty shelves.
It was hard not to find a bare wall in the place.
The discount tables were also very disheveled. Next to one, an employee had apparently left out a trash can.
Unlike the bustling H&M men's section, the Forever 21 men's department remained largely untouched.
Forever 21 does have some merits, however. It includes a full area devoted to its plus-size collection, which H&M lacked.
H&M has a history of pulling its plus-size lines and notoriously nonsensical sizing.
The Forever 21 cash wrap area was particularly bleak.
Those are some sad looking neck pillows.
There was also generally just a lot going on near the register.
Including so much candy.
With sales everywhere in sight and a messy and jumbled store presentation, it's clear why H&M came up on top.
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement