Sweden: Latest apparel and textile news & analysis

What Arket reveals about H&M's new direction 21 Jun 2017

H&M’s new Arket concept is quite unlike anything previously seen from the retailer. Rather than adopt a faster sourcing strategy, the company has opted to introduce a new brand to cater to shifts in consumer behaviour and progress towards a more sustainable business model. Bernadette Kissane, senior analyst for apparel and footwear at Euromonitor International, takes a closer look.

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What's the difference between compliance and safety? 26 May 2016

Swedish fashion retailer H&M is one of the leaders of the move to change compliance, and is at the forefront of sustainability. However, at the same time H&M appears to show no interest in the safety of workers making its products, write Emma Birnbaum and David Birnbaum. What is the difference between compliance and worker safety? they ask.

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H&M sustainability goals include water-based PU shoes 15 Apr 2016

Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is to place its first volume orders for shoes made with water-based vegan leather this year as part of new sustainability goals set out by the Swedish fashion retailer.

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IN THE MONEY: H&M faces margin pressure on dollar impact 26 Jun 2015

H&M Hennes & Mauritz will likely suffer gross margin pressure in the near-term, analysts believe, as the negative impact from the strong US dollar is compounded by increased purchasing costs and increasing wages.

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SUSTAINABILITY: H&M adds transparency to yarn and fabric suppliers 10 Apr 2015

The latest sustainability efforts from fashion retailer H&M Hennes & Mauritz include adding fabric and yarn mills to its publicly published supplier factory list, and further progress in its work towards fair living wages - although criticism suggests this is not progressing fast enough for some.

Tiger of Sweden names Linda Dauriz CEO 12 Nov 2019

Stockholm-based fashion house Tiger of Sweden has named Hugo Boss executive, Linda Dauriz, as its new CEO.

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H&M CEO fast fashion comments "misguided" 5 Nov 2019

H&M Group CEO, Karl-Johan Persson, has been called out by a labour rights group over comments he made in a recent interview warning of the "terrible social consequences" if consumers were to ditch fast fashion amid concerns about the climate crisis.

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First Circulose recycled cotton clothes due next year 31 Oct 2019

The first garments produced from Circulose, a new material made from recycled cotton clothes such as jeans and T-shirts on an industrial scale, will be available to buy in store in collaboration with selected brands at the beginning of next year.

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H&M to trial apparel rental service 31 Oct 2019

H&M has become the latest retailer to enter the rental space, giving consumers in its native Sweden the chance to hire select pieces from its 2012-2019 Conscious Exclusive collections made from more sustainable materials.

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Södra plans large-scale recycling of poly-cotton blends 29 Oct 2019

Sweden's largest forest owner association Södra has developed a new method of separating the cotton and polyester in poly-cotton blends, in a move that could pave the way for recycling fibres from blended fabrics on a large scale.

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H&M and Ikea study chemicals in recycled textiles 23 Oct 2019

A joint study by H&M and Ikea has found the likelihood of finding more restricted chemical substances in recyclable cotton samples is about twice as high compared to pre-consumer cotton samples.

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Lindex & Asket to explore circular business models 23 Oct 2019

Swedish fashion retailers Lindex and Asket have become the first brands to join a global project developed by Amsterdam based social enterprise Circle Economy, which aims to accelerate the uptake of re-commerce and rental business models in the apparel industry. 

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H&M takes majority stake in Sellpy re-commerce platform 10 Oct 2019

H&M Group has taken a majority stake in re-commerce business Sellpy, in a move that will support the platform's international expansion and also aligns with the Swedish fashion retailer's bid to become fully circular.

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H&M discount brand Afound to bolster digital presence 10 Oct 2019

H&M has confirmed it plans to give its newest outlet brand Afound a greater digital presence and will concentrate less on physical store expansion.

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H&M transformation strategy continues to bear fruit 3 Oct 2019

H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson remains confident the Swedish fashion retailer's transformation strategy is bearing fruit as its efforts helped boost both sales and profit in the first nine months of the year amid a "positive reception" for the group's early autumn collections.

H&M leads on sustainable fashion 17 Apr 2015

H&M's new Conscious Exclusive collection, which launched this week, proves that high street fashion can be sustainable. And as the line gains momentum it’s using more diverse materials, including recycled beads, fabrics such as hemp, organic linen, and organic leather.