Swedish clothing retailer H&M has chosen the premises for the first store of its brand in Russia COS: it will be open by the end of 2018 in the Afimall shopping center, reports "Kommersant". Over the past five years, H&M has been looking for an opportunity to launch a new brand on the Russian market, but the process was hampered by problems with the selection of premises and the difficult economic situation. Experts call the arrival of COS in Russia a "landmark moment", noting that now foreign brands practically do not consider this market as promising.

The company has been developing the COS brand since 2007. The reason for the long search for a place for the first store is that COS considered only top-end objects, but due to the company's very strict requirements for premises, it could not find a suitable room in street retail. «Afimall» was chosen because there was a successful location of the premises on the site of the Forever 21 store. In addition, the parties have reached mutually beneficial rental terms: we can talk about 4% of the turnover, whereas in the "European" or "Atrium" conditions would be less favorable for the retailer.

Despite the fact that the average COS check in Europe is €100–150, the brand will be in demand in Moscow and St. Petersburg, says Evgenia Khakberdieva, Head of the Shopping centers Department of the Knight Frank Retail real estate department. She does not rule out that COS will open two or three more stores in these cities.

Source: "Kommersant"