History

Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish multinational clothing-retail company known

for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children. As of
November 2019, H&M operates in 74 countries with over 5,000 stores under the
various company brands, with 126,000 full-time equivalent positions. It is the
second-largest global clothing retailer, behind Spain-based Inditex (parent
company of Zara). The rapid shift in fashion retail continues. We accelerate our
digital development and integrate our digital and physical channels to create a
smooth and inspiring experience for our customers wherever they want to meet
us. Improved ways of working will make us more flexible, fast and efficient.
Ever-increasing customer expectations mean we work passionately to offer the
best combination of fashion, quality, price and sustainability. H&M  values are
based on respect for the individual and a belief in people’s ability to use their
initiative, and we encourage everyone to be themselves and respect others for
who they are. These values help create an open and down-to-earth corporate
culture that promotes collaboration and an entrepreneurial spirit, and where
everyone can make a difference. This values-driven way of working dates back
to the days of H&M Group's founder, Erling Persson, and continues to play a
very important part in our sustainable development. H&M brands all have their
own unique identity, and they complement each other well. Together they offer
a great variety of styles and trends within fashion and accessories, beauty and
sportswear as well as interiors. Selected stores, mainly at ARKET, also have
cafés with a focus on modern healthy food. To help customers achieve a
sustainable lifestyle our brands offer several circular services. H&M
Group’s vision for sustainability is to lead the change towards circular and
climate positive fashion while being a fair and equal company. We work
according to our ambitious sustainability strategy produced jointly with
external and internal experts. Our sustainability work spans the entire value
chain, focusing both on our own operations and, together with other
stakeholders, the industry in general. 
Growth and integrated channels

Our brands are reaching customers around the world - through online, stores,
digital marketplaces and external platforms. Physical and digital channels are
increasingly integrated, and the store portfolio is being further optimised to
ensure a relevant presence in each market. H&M Group aims to be climate
positive throughout our value chain by 2040. The main priorities for getting
there are increased energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon sinks that
can absorb unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions. Our ambition to become
fully circular is fundamental to H&M Group’s climate work.

 Net sales H&M  233 billion in 2019

 52 markets with online shopping (Oct 2020)
 Around 5,000 stores in 74 markets
 In the H&M group, 71% of the employees in positions of
responsibility were women in 2019   
 In 2019, our customers handed in 29,005 tonnes of old textiles to our
program for reuse or recycling
 Supplier factories representing 85% of our total production volume have
democratically elected worker representation
 96% renewable electricity in our own operations in 2019

H&M Enters India

H&M, which follows a December-November financial year, entered India in

October 2015. It has opened, on average, a store every month, taking the tally to 39
now. Earlier, the company had said it would open 50 stores in India with an
investment of Rs 700 crore by 2020. H&M's fast fashion doesn't seem to slowing
down in India. For the year ended 30 November, 2019, the local arm of Swedish
fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)—known for its affordable and trendy
fashion—posted a 43% jump in sales touching nearly Rs1,500 crore, even as it
opened fewer stores in the market and activated online sales though Myntra. To be
sure, H&M Group that runs other brands such as COS, Monki, H&M Home,
among others, follows a December to November financial year. In 2019, H&M
opened 8 stores in India, lower than what it added in 2018 when it opened 12 new
stores here. H&M that globally competes with Inditex-owned Zara now has 47
stores here, the retailer said in its full year earnings report released on January 30.
In 2018, sales at the retailer's India business grew 29% touch Rs1,108.2 crore in
the year ended 30 November, 2018; the pace of growth was much lower than what
it posted a year ago, when its India business almost doubled its revenue to Rs860
crore. In India—where H&M has been present for five years now—the retailer that
has been introducing more low priced products, and reducing its extended sales
period, said that sales both through its stores and the internet ie via H&M.in and
Myntra continued to do well. H&M entered India in 2015 with its first store in
New Delhi, and promised to open 50 stores in the country with investments of
Rs700 crore. In March, 2018, the company even expanded into e-commerce sales
in India in order to reach a wider market, following other fast fashion retailers such
as Zara and Forever 21 that sell online. Last, year it announced plans to launch on
Flipkart-owned fashion website Myntra. We are delighted with the India results,
within 5 years in the country and at almost 1500cr sales shows that the customers
are very happy with H&M's business idea. Our stores continue to do strong sales,
Online with hm.com and myntra has also shown good growth. We look forward to
the Indian design collaboration with Sabyasachi launching soon and becoming
increasingly relevant to the Indian audience," said Janne Einola, H&M India's
country manager. H&M that has been on a mission to turnaround its business by
reducing dependence on marked down inventory, and investing more in e-
commerce said its efforts are helping boost profitability. This is especially key in a
scenario where consumer preferences shifting the world over where shoppers are
buying more goods online, and prompting fast fashion brands to turn sustainable
and contribute more towards being "climate positive”.