Read the story behind how one of the world’s most successful fashion retailers worked with its manufacturing partners to develop a sustainable supply chain. Learn more about this Swedish clothing company, and their growth into becoming a leader in global fashion.

H&M is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, with over 4,000 stores in 62 countries. But how did they get there? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at H&M’s history and how they disrupted the fashion industry to become the retail giant they are today. 

H&M was founded in 1947 by Erling Persson in Sweden. Originally, the store was called Hennes, which means “hers” in Swedish. In 1968, Persson acquired another Swedish clothing company called Mauritz Widforss, which led to the change in name to Hennes & Mauritz. The store specialized in affordable clothing and quickly became popular in Sweden. In 1974, H&M expanded outside of Sweden for the first time with a store in Norway. 

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, H&M continued to open new stores across Europe and Asia. In 2000, H&M debuted their first designer collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld. This was a major coup for the retailer and helped to solidify their position as a major player in the fashion world. By 2002, H&M had 250 stores across 20 different countries. 

2003 marked a turning point for H&M. They launched their first online store and began expanding into new markets such as Australia and the United States. They also introduced a new concept store called COS (Collection of Style) that offered more high-end fashion items. In 2006, they debuted yet another new concept store called Cheap Monday, which focused on selling affordable denim jeans.  

Today, H&M is one of the most recognizable fashion brands in the world. So how did they do it? A combination of expansion into new markets, introduction of new product lines, designer collaborations, and a strong online presence has made H&M one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. H&M uses outsourcing for production; relying on more than 900 independent supplies; mainly in Europe and Asia. 

Their manufacturing strategy focused on fast fashion; being able to move a large volume of merchandise from the designer table to showroom in the quickest amount of time. This concept relied heavily on successful supply chain management. Their willingness to experiment with new concepts and take risks; and constantly expanding into new markets and introducing new product lines, have kept customers interested. 

H&M is focused on becoming more transparent about its manufacturing process. The company recently released a video that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how H&M garments are made from start to finish. This video was created to show customers exactly what goes into making an H&M garment so that they can feel good about their purchase knowing that it was made ethically and sustainably.

H&M is one of the biggest fashion retailers in the world thanks to their innovative products, commitment to quality, and expansion into new markets. Their history is one of continual growth and adaptation, which has allowed them to stay ahead of the curve and maintain their position as a major player in the fashion industry.