‘We can create hype’: H&M’s UK boss on its commitment to the high street

Physical shops are a key part of H&M’s efforts to fight back against cut-price rivals such as Shein and Temu. Photograph: Richard Coombs/Alamy

Almost exactly 50 years after H&M opened its first British store, the doors on its newest, in Brighton, swung open this week and the Swedish fashion company’s UK boss is determined to keep investing in the nation’s high streets despite its struggles.

In 1976, H&M opened in the brand-new Brent Cross shopping centre, the first American-style out of town mall to grace these shores. Its opening was such an event that the then Prince Charles attended.