H&M

in New York City Foundation The business was established in 1947 by Erling Persson, when he opened his first shop in Västerås, Sweden. The shop was called Hennes (Swedish for 'hers') and only sold women's clothing. Another store opened in Norway, in 1964. In 1968, Persson acquired the hunting apparel retailer Mauritz Widforss, located in Stockholm, which led to the inclusion of a menswear collection in the product range, and the name was changed to Hennes & Mauritz. H&M continued to expand in Europe and began to retail online in 1998 with the domain hm.com, which was registered in 1997, according to data available via WHOIS. The opening of its first U.S. store on 31 March 2000 on Fifth Avenue in New York City marked the start of its expansion outside of Europe. Its worth was estimated at $12 billion to $16 billion. Under the "H&M with Friends", H&M will partner with Good American, a brand founded by Khloe Kardashian and Emme Grede, to feature their products in H&M's Swedish and German e-commerce shops. In 2017, H&M founded a new concept store Arket. In 2023, H&M launched its clothing line for children and teenagers, called "H&M by Mary Verdawn Sulmeron," exclusively sold for the Philippine market. Store openings worldwide H&M operated 2,325 stores at the end of 2011. At the end of August 2012, it was operating 304 more stores, bringing the total to 2,629. In September 2013, the retailer opened its 3000th store in Chengdu, China. In 2023, the company announced that it will enter the Brazilian market in both physical and digital formats, which has been in operation since 2025. COVID-19 In October 2020, H&M announced that it was planning to close 5% of its worldwide stores in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fashion retailer H&M closed 250 shops throughout the globe and moved the majority of its operations online. The H&M Group's sales growth remained at −34% year-over-year from 2020 week 12 to week 22. Withdrawal from the Russian market (2022) Along with hundreds of other global companies, H&M announced on 2 March 2022, an end to retail operations of its more than 150 stores in Russia as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. H&M cited that it stands "with all the people who are suffering" in Ukraine as well as for "the safety of customers and colleagues" in Russia. Having recently expanded via its Weekday and & Other Stories formats, Russia was H&M's sixth-biggest market at the time, representing 4% of group sales in the fourth quarter of 2021. The company also temporarily closed its Ukraine stores, which remain closed as of 2023. Supplies H&M sources its clothing products from various countries globally. The primary manufacturing locations for H&M products are China, Bangladesh. While H&M's headquarters is in Sweden, it operates 21 supplier and factory locations within the country. == Corporate affairs ==

The key trends for the H&M Group are (as of the financial year ending 30 November): ==H&M in India==

H&M entered India in 2015 and operates stores in major cities such as: • Mumbai • Delhi • Bengaluru • Pune • Hyderabad • Chennai • Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar • Ahmedabad • Chandigarh • Lucknow (select malls) Stores are usually located in premium malls like Phoenix Mall, Select Citywalk, and similar retail hubs. == Designers ==

• In November 2004, select stores offered an exclusive collection by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. The press reported there were large crowds and that the initial inventories in big cities were sold out within an hour. • In November 2006, the company launched a collection by Stella McCartney. • Also in November 2006, the company launched a collection by avant-garde Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf. • H&M launched a collaboration designed by pop star Madonna in March 2007. • In November 2007, several months after collaborating with Madonna, the company launched a collection by Italian designer Roberto Cavalli. • Finnish company Marimekko was chosen as a guest designer in spring 2008. • H&M partnered with Comme des Garçons, a Japanese fashion label, in the fall of 2008. Products in the collection included accessories, a unisex fragrance, and clothing for adults and children. • For spring and summer of 2009, British designer Matthew Williamson created two exclusive ranges for the company – the first being a collection of women's clothes that were released in select stores. For the second collection, Williamson ventured into creating menswear for the first time. It featured swimwear for men and women and was available in all of H&M's stores worldwide. • On 14 November 2009, the company released a limited-edition diffusion collection by Jimmy Choo featuring handbags and shoes for men and women, with prices ranging from £30 to £170. The collection also included clothing designed by Choo, such as garments made of suede and leather, and was available in 200 stores worldwide, including London's Oxford Circus store. • Sonia Rykiel collaborated with the company by designing a ladies knitwear and lingerie range that was released in select company stores on 5 December 2009. • French fashion house Lanvin collaborated with H&M to create a new collection, "Lanvin Hearts H&M," in fall 2010. The collection, designed to make Lanvin clothing more accessible to the average consumer, featured items that were around 100 euros. Usually Lanvin dresses would cost hundreds of euros more. • For Spring and Summer 2011, the company worked with fashion blogger Elin Kling, whose collection was only available at select stores. • H&M announced a collaboration with Versace in June 2011 that was later released on 19 November. Versace also planned a Spring collaboration with the company that would only be available in countries with online sales. Similar to past collaborations, Versace agreed to let H&M use its name for a previously agreed-upon sum, without actually having a role in the design process. • H&M announced a collaboration with Marni in November 2011. The campaign launched a few months later in March 2012 and was led by director Sofia Coppola. -printed viscose jersey dress by Maison Martin Margiela for H&M, 2012 • On 4 October 2012, Vogue Japan editor Anna Dello Russo launched an accessories collection with H&M as Paris Fashion Week drew to an end. The collection was stocked in 140 H&M stores worldwide and was also available to purchase online. • On 12 June 2012, H&M confirmed that it would launch a collaboration with avant-garde label Maison Martin Margiela for a fall rollout. The Maison Martin Margiela collection for H&M hit stores a few months later on 15 November 2012. • Isabel Marant was a collaboration designer for fall 2013 and, for the first time in her career, made a few men's pieces to accompany the women's collection. The collection sold out very quickly in cities across the globe and was heavily anchored in sales online. • During the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, H&M announced its first collaboration with an American designer. Alexander Wang was the designer chosen and the collection was released to a select 250 stores around the world on 6 November 2014. • Balmain was announced as the next collaboration with H&M through Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing's Instagram page. The collection was released on 5 November 2015. That year's H&M Christmas campaign was made in collaboration with popstar Katy Perry, who also sang the commercial soundtrack "'Every Day Is A Holiday". • In November 2016, H&M released a designer line in collaboration with Kenzo. That year the company released an annual holiday movie directed by Wes Anderson as part of the company's Christmas advertising campaign. • Swedish singer Zara Larsson designed a "playful, young, empowering and little glamorous" collection with H&M in February 2017. • After 20 years, Naomi Campbell came back to collaborate with the company for a global female empowerment commercial spot in fall 2017. She wore clothes that blurred the line between masculine and feminine in the campaign's Tokyo spot-video where she lip-synced "Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do)" by Wham!. • Designers Jeremy Scott and Moschino collaborated with the brand in April 2018. • With the idea of reviving the spirit of the swinging sixties, H&M collaborated with designer Richard Allan in July 2019. • The Fleur du Soleil collection, part of H&M's collaboration with Lebanese designer Sandra Mansour, was released in August 2020 and marked the first time the company had partnered with an Arab designer. • Irish designer Simone Rocha, daughter of designer John Rocha, was announced as a collaborative partner in March 2021. Rocha's designs launched with an H&M campaign film and images shot by Tyler Mitchell. == Sustainability and environmental awareness ==

Recycling and circulation initiatives In February 2013, H&M began offering patrons a voucher in exchange for used clothing. Donated garments were to be processed by I:CO, a retailer that repurposes and recycles used clothing with the goal of creating a zero waste economy. The initiative is similar to an April 2012 clothes-collection voucher program launched by Marks & Spencer in partnership with Oxfam. To further promote recycling, the brand appointed actress Maisie Williams as a global sustainability ambassador in April 2021, to front a campaign promoting the goal of using all recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030. This campaign began with an Animal Crossing collaboration featuring Williams as a digital game character to teach the virtues of recycling. The company also introduced a 2021 pilot program in the UK and US that allowed men to rent suits for job interviews. Material sourcing and biodiversity H&M joined Zara and other apparel companies in changing their supply chain to avoid damaging ecosystems. In 2014, the company partnered with the nonprofit Canopy to remove dissolvable pulp from endangered and ancient forests for its viscose and rayon fabrics. In response to the 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires, H&M temporarily halted leather purchases from Brazil. The company issued an email statement: "The ban will be active until there are credible assurance systems in place to verify that the leather does not contribute to environmental harm in the Amazon." H&M imports only a small fraction of its leather needs from the country. The company also introduced bans on specific animal products. Following a 2019 announcement to phase out wool from mulesed sheep, H&M reported a full phase-out by 2025. While 90% of the company's down and feathers were recycled as of 2024, H&M committed to eliminating all virgin down and feathers by the end of 2025. The H&M Foundation Established in 2014 with an initial $180 million investment from the Persson family, the H&M Foundation is a nonprofit that funds humanitarian and environmental projects. These include the Green Machine, a technology that would allow clothing to be recycled in a similar way to aluminum cans. In August 2015, the foundation announced that it will award the Global Change Award, an annual million-euro prize to advance recycling technology and techniques within the fashion industry. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), H&M Foundation's financing for 2019 increased by 7% to US$17 million. Greenwashing allegations The company's sustainability claims have faced legal and regulatory scrutiny. A US class-action lawsuit alleging that H&M's Conscious Choice range was greenwashing was dismissed. However, the Norwegian Consumer Authority (Forbrukertilsynet), issued a warning to H&M regarding environmental marketing claims, citing concerns that its data did not sufficiently support the products' environmentally friendly branding. It had previously stated that it believed another clothing company, Norrøna, was "breaking the law" by using similar marketing claims. ==Concept stores==

, Serbia , UK as of April 2023 Six concept brands In addition to the H&M brand, the company consists of six individual brands with separate concepts. Brands include Afound, Arket, COS, Monki, Weekday, and & Other Stories. COS COS launched its flagship store on London's Regent Street in March 2007 with a catwalk show at the Royal Academy. Its concept is encompassed by minimalist style inspired by architecture, graphics, and design. COS makes clothing that can be worn beyond the season. COS has 197 stores in 34 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and the Middle East and currently retails online to 19 markets via cos.com. H&M Details 2016 saw a new H&M concept in The Dubai Mall come up, labelled now 'H&M Details'. ==Labor practices==

Working conditions Cambodia In August 2011, nearly 300 workers fainted in one week at a Cambodian factory supplying H&M. Fumes from chemicals, poor ventilation, malnutrition, and even "mass hysteria" have all been blamed for making workers ill. The minimum wage in the country is the equivalent of $66 (£42) a month, an amount that is less than half of what is required to meet basic needs, according to human rights groups. Bangladesh The same year, Bangladeshi and international labor groups put forth a detailed safety proposal that entailed the establishment of independent inspections of garment factories. The plan called for inspectors to have the power to close unsafe factories. The proposal entailed a legally binding contract between suppliers, customers, and unions. At a meeting in 2011 in Dhaka, major European and North American retailers, including H&M, rejected the proposal. Further efforts by unions to advance the proposal after numerous and deadly factory fires have been rejected. Myanmar A report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) found a significant rise in worker abuse allegations in Myanmar garment factories since the military coup in 2021. H&M is investigating 20 such cases at its suppliers, while a report documented 156 in total over the past year. This has led some fashion brands like Inditex (Zara owner) to cut ties with Myanmar suppliers, while others like H&M and Bestseller are increasing monitoring efforts. The decision to stay or leave is complex, with some arguing continued engagement offers leverage for improvement, while others fear a race to the bottom if major brands exit. Supply chain transparency The Guardian wrote that in a conscious action sustainability report for 2012, H&M published a list of factories supplying 95% of its garments. This contributes to the trend of corporations leaning toward ethically transparent supply chains. Slave and child labour On 2 January 2013, The Ecologist reported allegations by Anti-Slavery International that H&M was continuing its association with the Uzbek government in exploiting child and adult forced labor as cotton harvesters in Uzbekistan. In September 2020, amid international allegations over the use of Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang, H&M published a statement saying that it had stopped buying cotton from growers in Xinjiang, stating that it was "deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor and discrimination of ethno-religious minorities". In February 2017, The Guardian reported children were employed to make H&M products in Myanmar and were paid 13p (about 15 cents US) an hour – half the full legal minimum wage. Since then, H&M has become a Fair Labour Association (FLA) member and has set a goal to achieve fair living wages throughout its supply chain by 2030. Factory building structural collapses Savar building, Bangladesh In April 2013, the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Bangladesh killing over 1,100 people. Fatalities were mostly garment workers. The incident is considered the deadliest non-deliberate structural failure accident and the deadliest garment factory disaster in modern history. The eight-story building complex that was not designed for factory production and had cracks in the structure that the owners ignored. Approximately 2,500 injured people were rescued from the rubble. The company and other retailers signed on to the Accord on Factory and Building Safety in Bangladesh. In June 2016, SumOfUs launched a campaign to pressure H&M to honor the commitment it made and signed to protect Bangladesh's garment workers. SumOfUs alleged that "H&M is drastically behind schedule in fixing the safety hazards its workers have to face every day." Phnom Penh, Cambodia On 19 May 2013, a textile factory that produced apparel for H&M in Phnom Penh, Cambodia collapsed, injuring several people. The incident has raised concerns regarding industrial safety regulations. Living wage On 25 November 2013, H&M's global head of sustainability committed that H&M, as the world's second-largest clothing retailer, would aim to pay all textile workers "living wage" by 2018, stating that governments are responding too slowly to poor working conditions in Bangladesh among other Asian countries where many clothing retailers source a majority if not all of its garments. Wages were increased in Bangladesh from 3,000 takas ($40) to 5,300 takas ($70) a month in late 2013. As of October 2018, a report from the Business and Human Rights Centre show that adequate wages and overtime payment practices do not live up to the conditions promised by H&M in 2013 based on interviews with 62 workers in six H&M supplier factories in Bulgaria, Turkey, India and Cambodia. Fire safety report In September 2015, CleanClothes.org, an NGO involved in garment labor working conditions, reported on a lack of specific fire safety renovations in H&M suppliers' factories. Xinjiang region In 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute accused 82 major brands, including H&M, of being connected to alleged forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang. Specifically the report mentions H&M as a customer of Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn Co. Ltd. See also: §Boycotts by China. The evidence adduced was that between April 2017 and June 2018 2,048 Uyghur workers were taken "from Hotan Prefecture in Xinjiang to 15 factories in Anhui Province, including [a] Huafu [factory]", and that H&M listed Huafu as a supplier. On 16 September 2020, H&M said it was ending its relationship with Huafu. It further stated that it had "never had a business relationship with a mill owned by the yarn producer Huafu Fashion Co in Anhui province where workers from XUAR have been employed". == Controversies ==

Boycotts by China In March 2021, after the EU, UK, US, and Canada's joint sanctions against China over reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, H&M's stance on avoiding forced labor in Xinjiang and claim of not going to use cotton produced there was found and criticized by the Communist Youth League of China on its official Weibo page. Their post stated, "Spreading rumors to boycott Xinjiang cotton, while trying to make a profit in China? Wishful thinking!" The viral post spread across mainland Chinese social media, leading to H&M facing significant criticism among Chinese social media users. On 24 March 2021, H&M became the first fashion brand to be targeted in China, with its products removed from Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Pinduoduo, JD.com and Alibaba, its mobile application removed from Chinese app stores, and rideshare platform DiDi blocking customers from requesting H&M stores as their destinations. Two of H&M's brand ambassadors in China, Huang Xuan and Victoria Song, announced they were no longer collaborating with H&M. Response Chinese state media outlet China Global Television Network countered the statements against Xinjiang cotton with a video showing automation in cotton-picking and local Uyghurs claiming that the industry brought high earnings. On 26 March 2021, the United States condemned the China-backed boycotts, with its Department of Commerce stating that the United States "has taken strong actions to stop China from profiting off of its human-rights abuses in Xinjiang and to stop imports of products made with forced labor in China." On the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded by saying that Chinese consumers have the right to express their own choices. Later, H&M quietly revised its original wording regarding Xinjiang. On 31 March, H&M responded with a statement vowing to rebuild trust in China and serve its customers in a "respectful way". However, media reports indicated that H&M did not issue a direct apology but instead attempted to “blur the issue.” H&M’s sales in China reportedly fell by approximately 23% during the second quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in the previous year. In the third quarter of 2021 (ending August 31, 2021), sales in the Chinese market declined by approximately 40%. Despite this, the boycott had a far-reaching impact, and the brand’s image remained damaged. Following this, H&M continued to experience poor performance in the Chinese market, with a reduction in store numbers, declining sales, and a loss of brand influence. As a result, H&M has not released detailed financial reports for the Chinese market since 2021, nor has it separately listed data for the Chinese market in its annual reports. Israel H&M has operated stores in Israel since March 2010 with its first store in Tel Aviv in partnership with local franchisee Match Retail, a division of Union Group. As of December 2023, H&M operates 24 stores in Israel, predominantly around the region of Gush Dan. H&M does not operate any stores in the occupied areas of East Jerusalem or the West Bank. However, since opening in Israel, the Palestinian branch of BDS has campaigned for boycott of fashion chain, demanding that it pull out of the country. H&M's continuing presence in Israel has led to protests in various stores in Europe, especially since the invasion of the Gaza Strip. The company initially closed its stores when the invasion started in October, however the company quietly reopened the stores. In January 2016, H&M initially put out and later pulled a tallit-like beige and dark blue striped scarf in its Israeli stores, after it was accused of being offensive to Jews. Australia In January 2024, the company was heavily criticized after its Australian branch released a school uniform advertisement with the slogan "Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion". Melinda Tankard Reist, an Australian writer, questioned the brand's motives, claiming that young girls just want to be left alone and don't want unwelcome attention. The company removed the advertisement and apologized. Other controversies ==See also==