LONDON, United Kingdom — After Hennes & Mauritz AB and Inditex SA, Europe’s two largest clothing retailers, committed to an agreement to improve fire and building safety in Bangladesh, pressure is mounting on U.S. retailers to sign the pact.
& Other Stories | Source: H&MSTOCKHOLM, Sweden — Counting on the old adage that sales of affordable luxuries like lipstick and scarves climb in tough times, Hennes & Mauritz AB is rolling out a new chain called & Other Stories that focuses on upscale accessories.
H&M Autumn/Winter 2013 at Paris Fashion Week | Source: H&MThere’s little doubt that H&M’s glossy marketing initiatives generate significant consumer buzz. But what impact do they have on the bottom line?
BARCELONA, Spain — Two years ago, Spanish retailer Mango could barely convince its employees to wear its dresses, skirts, and blouses, which many workers — and customers — thought were too formal. Today, Mango has ditched the glitz in favor of more casual attire like that from Spanish rival Inditex SA, the world’s biggest seller of apparel and owner of the Zara brand. The change has helped Mango outpace Inditex in Spain’s 16.2
Inditex Headquarters in La Coruna, Spain | Source: InditexMADRID, Spain — Zara owner Inditex tapped fashion-hungry consumers in new markets in 2012 to grow net profit by 22 percent even as austerity-hit shoppers in Europe tightened belts. The world's largest clothing retailer, which runs eight brands, posted net profit of 2.4 billion euros ($3.1 billion), opening new stores in 64 markets. It entered markets like Georgia, Bosnia and Ecuador for the first time.
