H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB - apparel and textile industry company news 
just-style's most read stories this week...
17 May 2013
The most-read stories on just-style this week include a rush by apparel brands and retailers to sign the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a report on what the agreement entails, and plans by M&S to shake up its supplier base.
US: Apparel groups unveil own Bangladesh safety plans
16 May 2013
A group of North American retailers has gone its own way on strengthening safety efforts at Bangladesh garment factories, setting up a new initiative said to offer a long-term solution that also offers flexibility to "respond to an ever-changing environment."
US: Activists call for halt to Uzbek cotton imports
16 May 2013
A US-based labour and human rights watchdog has filed a formal complaint with the US Customs service calling for a halt on imports of cotton from Uzbekistan grown and harvested with forced labour.
Who has signed the Bangladesh safety accord?
16 May 2013
A total of 33 companies have signed the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building last month, which killed more than 1,000 people.
Bangladesh safety accord still raises many questions
15 May 2013
There is no doubt that something needed to be done to improve safety standards at factories in Bangladesh making clothes for western brands and retailers. But the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety - details of which were reported on just-style yesterday - seems to raise nearly as many questions as it answers.
BANGLADESH: More retailers race to join safety accord
15 May 2013
More retailers and brands have joined the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh ahead of the midnight deadline (15 May).
SWEDEN: H&M posts 1% rise in April comp-store sales
15 May 2013
Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has posted a slight increase in April comparable store sales - putting an end to five months of consecutive revenue declines.
What does the new Bangladesh safety accord entail?
14 May 2013
Yesterday (13 May) was a big day for the Bangladesh garment industry, with retailers finally signing an agreement to improve fire safety in the country's ready-made garment industry after two years of being caught in a stalemate. But what exactly does the new accord entail? Petah Marian takes a first look.
BANGLADESH: Marks & Spencer joins Safety Accord
14 May 2013
Marks & Spencer has become the latest retailer to join the new Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord, which is intended to improve safety in the country's garment factories.
BANGLADESH: Gap seeks modifications to Safety Accord
14 May 2013
US retailer Gap has said it will sign the new Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord, if the agreement on how disputes are resolved is modified.
BANGLADESH: Benetton and N Brown commit to safety accord
14 May 2013
Two more European retailers have this-afternoon signed up to the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which aims to improve safety conditions in supplier factories.
UPDATE: BANGLADESH: Retailers rush to join fire and building safety accord
13 May 2013
Fashion firms H&M, Primark, C&A and Inditex (operator of the Zara stores) have joined the Fire and Building Safety Agreement, which is intended to improve safety in Bangladeshi garment factories.
SINGAPORE: DyStar unit helps analyse factory discharge data
13 May 2013
DyStar's Sustainable Textile Solutions business has helped a number of fashion brands and retailers working to improve chemical management in their apparel supply chains.
BANGLADESH: NGOs increase pressure on retailers to sign fire safety agreement
10 May 2013
NGOs are increasing pressure on international clothing brands and retailers that source from Bangladesh to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety following another fatal incident in a garment factory.
US: 'Chemicals of concern' found in children's products
8 May 2013
Reports filed by companies including Gap Inc, Gymboree Corp, Nike Inc, H&M and Wal-Mart Stores to comply with a Washington State law are said to have shown "chemicals of high concern" in products made or marketed for children, research has discovered.
The Flanarant: Solutions to prevent another Bangladesh tragedy
3 May 2013
Actions need to speak louder than words when it comes to tackling working conditions in the Bangladesh garment industry. And in the wake of the collapse last week of the Rana Plaza building near Dhaka, Mike Flanagan has what he describes as "a modest proposal" for identifying and delisting all unsound factories.
INDIA: H&M seeking to open 50 stores
1 May 2013
Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has confirmed to just-style that it has filed an application to open 50 single-brand retail stores in India with an investment of US$100m.
Focus: Latin America increasingly important for apparel
30 April 2013
Following last month's overview of apparel in Asia Pacific, Euromonitor International assesses the prospects and pitfalls in the next goldmine of opportunity: Latin America.
BANGLADESH: Buyers call for action on factory safety
30 April 2013
Representatives from more than 40 apparel brands and retailers have called for a credible action plan to address workplace safety in the Bangladesh clothing sector as the death toll from last week's Rana Plaza building collapse climbs to 386.
UPDATE: Renewed calls for better Bangladesh worker safety
29 April 2013
Labour rights groups and unions have stepped up their calls for urgent action to improve worker health and safety in Bangladesh's ready-made garment industry, as the death toll from the collapsed Rana Plaza factory building soars to 381.
EUROPE: Study urges re-think on apparel trade policy
23 April 2013
A new study into the impact of the branded clothing sector on the European economy is calling for a shift in thinking when it comes to setting out trade policies to include the full breadth of the industry.
INDONESIA: Fashion brands linked to polluting textile factory
19 April 2013
New research released this week has linked international fashion brands to a textile plant in West Java that is accused of dumping industrial wastewater containing a cocktail of toxic and hazardous chemicals into a local river.
HONG KONG: Water discharge monitoring service launched
19 April 2013
A new water discharge monitoring service has been introduced to help textile manufacturers eliminate pollution of waterways and demonstrate their environmental credentials.
UZBEKISTAN: Activists call on Nike to end dealings with Daewoo
18 April 2013
Human rights activists have called on Nike to stop doing business with Daewoo International, which they claim is the largest processor of forced labour cotton in Uzbekistan.
The Flanarant: Trade deals - the devil is in the details
17 April 2013
The explosion in proposed trade agreements will probably stimulate major changes over the next decade in how apparel buyers organise their supply chains. But as Mike Flanagan explains, they never deliver what - or when - their lobbyists say they will.
SWEDEN: H&M sales fall for fifth month in March
15 April 2013
H&M Hennes & Mauritz recorded a weak March performance as cold weather and snow across Europe and North America dampened sales.
just-style's research roundup
15 April 2013
Featured reports from just-style's research store this week include a profile of H&M, a look at online women's clothing sales in the UK, an overview of clothing retailing in Germany, and a country report on Sri Lanka.
EUROPE: Closed loop clothing recycling set to grow
11 April 2013
Closed loop clothing recycling is set to grow in Europe as increased volumes of clothing are being collected for re-use and recycling, according to new research.
AUSTRALIA: Online and luxury offer opportunity for fashion retailers
9 April 2013
The online and luxury segments are set to provide a silver lining in what is an otherwise gloomy outlook for Australia's fashion industry, according to research released by IbisWorld.
PSF 2013: Seeking solutions to sustainability issues
8 April 2013
When it comes to managing sustainability across the apparel, textile and footwear supply chain, many of the industry's leading retailers, brands and suppliers are already leading the way. And they are continuing to seek solutions, according to executives speaking at Prime Source Forum.
