History
Foundation
The business was established in 1947 byHome furnishings
In 2008, the company announced in aOther brands
Concept stores, including COS, Weekday, Monki and Cheap Monday, were launched following H&M's expansion in Asia. In 2009 and 2010, brand consultancy Interbrand ranked H&M as the twenty-first most-valuable global brand. 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 byStore openings worldwide
H&M operated 2,325 stores at the end of 2011. At the end of August 2012, they were operating 304 more stores, bringing the total to 2,629. In September 2013, the retailer opened its 3000th store inCOVID-19
In October 2020, H&M announced that it was planning to close 5% of its worldwide stores in 2021 as a result of theWithdrawal 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 inSupplies
H&M sources its clothing products from various countries globally. The primary manufacturing locations for H&M products areCorporate affairs
The key trends for the H&M Group are (as of the financial year ending 30 November): {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" ! !RevenueDesigners
*In November 2004, select stores offered an exclusive collection by fashion designerSustainability and environmental awareness
{{POV, date=September 2023Used garment vouchers
Starting in February 2013, H&M began offering patrons aEndangered forests
In April 2014, H&M joinedThe H&M Foundation
The H&M Foundation, a nonprofit, was established in 2014 to fund projects that improve humanitarian and environmental issues within the fashion industry. The Persson family, the founders and owners of H&M, originally invested $180 million in the foundation. One of the foundation's projects includes the Green Machine, a recycling technology that would allow clothing to be recycled in a similar way to aluminum can recycling. Since 2013, the family has made contributions to the foundation, donating SEK1.1 billion (US$154 million) to it.{{Citation needed, date=May 2021 According to theBrazilian leather halt
In September 2019, H&M halted its leather purchases from Brazil in response to theSustainability ambassador hiring
ActressRental clothing
In May 2021, H&M announced a temporary rental clothing service that allows men to rent suits for up to 24 hours for job interviews. It began in the UK and was also being tested in the United States.Use of feathers
In 2024, the company said that about 90% of the down and feathers in its products came from recycled items but that by the end of 2025, none of their items would use virgin down or feathers.Wool from mulesed sheep
In 2019, H&M announced its intent to phase out wool from mulesed sheep from its global inventory. In 2025, H&M reported that it had fully phased out wool from mulesed sheep.Concept stores
Six concept brands
In addition to the H&M brand, the company consists of six individual brands with separate concepts.{{cite web, url=http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-about-hm/about-hm/hm-group.html#cm-menu, title=H&M Group, access-date=30 May 2015, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216162916/http://about.hm.com/en/About/facts-about-hm/about-hm/hm-group.html#cm-menu, archive-date=16 December 2014 Brands include Afound, Arket, COS, Monki, Weekday, and & Other Stories.COS
COS launched its flagship store on London'sH&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,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 aMyanmar
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 their 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
''Slave and child labour
On 2 January 2013, ''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-deliberatePhnom Penh, Cambodia
On 19 May 2013, a textile factory that produced apparel for H&M inLiving wage
{{Update section, date=February 2024 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 their garments. Wages were increased in Bangladesh from 3,000 takas ($40) to 5,300 takas ($70) a month in late 2013.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, theControversies
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 theResponse
ChineseGreenwashing claims
A proposed class action lawsuit in the US alleged that H&M wasLeaving Russia
In March 2022, the H&M Group communicated that they would pause their operations in Russia due to theIsrael
H&M has operated stores inAustralia
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
{, class="wikitable" , + !Time !Controversy , - , 6 January 2010 , It was reported that unsold or refunded clothing and other items in oneSee also
{{Portal, Sweden, Companies, Fashion *Notes
{{notelist{{NotelistReferences
{{ReflistFurther reading
* Myhr, Karin Jansson (2019). ''Historien om ett företag: H&M''.External links
{{Commons category * {{Official website * {{cite web , title=Supplier list , website=Sustainability Reporting , url=http://sustainability.hm.com/en/sustainability/downloads-resources/resources/supplier-list.html , ref={{sfnref , Sustainability Reporting , access-date=7 March 2018 {{Major retail companies {{OMX Stockholm 30 companies {{OMX Nordic 40 {{DJSI World {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:H and M Companies in the OMX Stockholm 30 Companies in the OMX Nordic 40 Clothing brands Clothing brands of Sweden Clothing retailers of Sweden Multinational companies headquartered in Sweden Companies based in Stockholm Clothing companies established in 1947 Design companies established in 1947 Retail companies established in 1947 Swedish companies established in 1947 2000s fashion 2010s fashion 2020s fashion Swedish brands Online retailers of Sweden 1970s initial public offerings Companies listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Persson family Shoe brands 20th-century establishments in Västmanland County