H&M Group

What does H&M Group own?
H&M Group owns seven retail brands: H&M, the flagship fast-fashion brand operating in more than 75 markets; COS, a premium contemporary brand; Monki, a youth-oriented sustainable fashion brand; Weekday, a denim and streetwear brand; Arket, a premium lifestyle brand; & Other Stories, a women's fashion and beauty brand; and Afound, an outlet retail brand. The group operates more than 4,000 stores worldwide and sells products online in all of its markets.

Is H&M Group publicly traded?
Yes, H&M Group is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under ticker HM-B. The company has been publicly listed since 1974. However, the Persson family holds a controlling interest through a dual-class share structure in which their A-shares carry ten votes per share compared to one vote per share for the publicly traded B-shares. This structure gives the Persson family effective control over the company despite not holding a majority of the economic interest.

Who founded H&M Group?
H&M Group was founded by Erling Persson in 1947 in Vasteras, Sweden. Persson opened the first Hennes store selling women's clothing at affordable prices. In 1968, he acquired Mauritz Widforss, a Stockholm retailer, which led to the company being renamed Hennes & Mauritz and later H&M. Erling Persson's son Stefan Persson joined the company in 1972 and became managing director in 1982, leading the company's international expansion.

Where is H&M Group headquartered?
H&M Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The company's registered office and principal executive offices are located in Stockholm. H&M Group does not own manufacturing facilities and sources its products from a global network of approximately 900 suppliers, primarily in Bangladesh, China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

How many brands does H&M Group own?
H&M Group operates seven retail brands: H&M, COS, Monki, Weekday, Arket, & Other Stories, and Afound. The H&M brand is by far the largest, accounting for the substantial majority of group revenue and operating more than 3,000 of the group's approximately 4,000 stores. The other six brands collectively address more specific consumer segments and price points.

Who owns H&M Group?
H&M Group is publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, but the Persson family holds a controlling interest through Ramsbury Invest AB, their holding company. The family's A-share holdings give them effective voting control through the company's dual-class share structure. Stefan Persson, son of founder Erling Persson, is the primary representative of the founding family's interest. Karl-Johan Persson, Stefan's son, serves as chairman of the board.

Erling Persson founded Hennes (Swedish for "Hers") in 1947 in Vasteras, Sweden. The first store sold women's clothing at affordable prices, targeting the growing post-war Swedish middle class. Persson's concept was to offer fashionable clothing at prices accessible to ordinary consumers, a model that would later be described as fast fashion.

In 1968, Erling Persson acquired Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and fishing equipment retailer in Stockholm. The acquisition brought the Mauritz name into the company and expanded the product range to include menswear. The company was subsequently renamed Hennes & Mauritz, which was later shortened to H&M.

H&M expanded outside Sweden for the first time in 1964, opening a store in Norway. The company continued its Nordic expansion through the late 1960s and 1970s, entering Denmark and Switzerland. In 1976, H&M opened its first store in the United Kingdom, in London, marking the beginning of its Western European expansion.

The company listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1974, providing capital for continued expansion. Erling Persson's son, Stefan Persson, joined the company in 1972 and became managing director in 1982. Under Stefan Persson's leadership, H&M accelerated its international expansion significantly.

H&M entered the German market in 1980, which became one of its largest markets. The company expanded into the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Luxembourg through the 1980s and 1990s. In 1998, H&M entered France, and in 2000, the company opened its first US store in New York City, marking its entry into the North American market.

In 2007, H&M launched COS (Collection of Style), a premium contemporary brand targeting consumers seeking more refined, minimalist design at prices above the H&M flagship. COS established H&M Group's multi-brand strategy, demonstrating that the group could operate distinct brands with different aesthetics and price points.

The group subsequently launched Weekday in 2002 (acquired from the founders), Monki in 2006 (acquired), & Other Stories in 2013, Arket in 2017, and Afound in 2018. Each brand was designed to address a specific consumer segment without cannibalizing the H&M flagship.

In 2021, H&M Group announced the appointment of Helena Helmersson as CEO, the first woman to lead the company. Helmersson had previously served as the group's Chief Operating Officer and Head of Sustainability. She resigned in January 2024 and was succeeded by Daniel Ervér, who had been CEO of the COS brand.

For the full year ending 30 November 2025, H&M Group reported net sales of approximately 234 billion Swedish kronor, with sales in local currencies increasing by 2% in the fourth quarter. The group operated approximately 4% fewer stores at the end of the period compared to the prior year, reflecting a continued rationalization of the store network in favor of larger, more productive locations and digital channels.

H&M Group has faced sustained criticism from environmental and labor advocacy groups regarding the environmental impact of fast fashion and labor conditions in its supply chain. The group sources products from factories in Bangladesh, China, India, Turkey, and other countries where labor standards have been subjects of advocacy campaigns.

In 2022, H&M Group faced scrutiny in Germany after a consumer protection organization filed a complaint alleging that the group's sustainability claims were misleading. The complaint focused on H&M's Conscious Collection marketing, which critics argued overstated the environmental benefits of the products. H&M subsequently revised its sustainability marketing communications.

The group has also faced criticism for its use of cotton from regions where forced labor concerns have been raised. H&M Group has published supplier codes of conduct and participates in industry initiatives to improve supply chain transparency and labor standards.