Lucky Brand

The Story of Lucky Brand:

Rooted in rock 'n 'roll with a signature sense of humor, Lucky Brand stands for independent thinking, individual style and a feeling as authentic as love. Friends since youth, creators Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman shipped the first order of Lucky Brand in 1990, and have been renowned for their great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans ever since.

Gene and Barry's lifelong passions were blue jeans and rock 'n' roll. While experiencing the hippie-counterculture movement in the U.S. in the 1970s, the then-21-year-old Gene teamed up with 17-year-old Barry, and friend Bill Rudnick, to open a jeans shop in Florida called Four Way Street. It was 1972 and they were officially in the jeans business, "During the evenings, we'd head out to the local Laundromat with our pockets full of coins and some bleach. A few hours later, we had a stack of great washed jeans -- one of a kind and 100% authentic!"

Gene moved to Los Angeles in 1978 "with $100 in his pocket" and entered the burgeoning Los Angeles fashion industry. He started Bongo Jeans with partner Michael Caruso and helped run the Bongo brand for 15 years, helping it grow into a multi-million dollar company. In 1990, Gene left Bongo to launch his dream, Lucky Brand, and asked Barry to become his business partner once again. The Goal? To create a denim company without compromise, about great quality and good humor.

Lucky Brand became instantly recognized for its attention to fit, but there was one more detail to follow. Gene wanted to put a message in the fly, and came up with the catch phrase "Lucky You." The irreverent play on words and strategic placement of the "Lucky You" message bucked the 1990s politically correct climate, attracting some unfavorable advice, "Don't do it. People won't buy it, they'll be offended!"

As promised, Gene refused to compromise and his good-humored "Lucky You" signature was a gamble that paid off. In next to no time, the phones were ringing with people demanding those jeans with the "Lucky You" in the fly.

Lucky Brand is built on moments like these, of irrefutable attitude and vision without compromise. Los Angeles and the free-spirited Southern California lifestyle continue to inspire the company's style. The story of Lucky Brand is the story of two great friends moving to California and starting a jeans brand. The rest is history.

 Lucky Hollywood:

Over the years Lucky Brand has garnered a strong celebrity following. Fans include Ben Affleck, Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Brad Pitt, Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock, Ellen DeGeneres, David Grohl, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Gwyneth Paltrow, LL Cool J, Matt Damon, Will Smith & John Travolta, just to name a few. 

Lucky Brand works with the wardrobe departments of Hollywood movie studios and has been featured on numerous TV shows including Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mother, Criminal Minds, The Unit, Scrubs, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Without a Trace and CSI.

For the past ten years, Lucky Brand has sponsored the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, a prestigious event that honors the artists behind filmmaking, hosts premiere screenings and supports aspiring filmmakers.

Lucky Foundation

Created by Lucky Brand founders Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman, The Lucky Foundation is committed to bringing happiness, comfort and hope to disabled children. The Foundation believes that its donations can truly impact the quality of life and well-being of children and make a difference in their lives. Since its inception in 1996, the Foundation has been successful in raising approximately $6 million through its annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala for numerous children's charities including: Smile Train, Camp Sundown, Island Dolphin Care, Shane's Inspiration and The Bridge School. The event consistently draws over 700 guests from the fashion and Hollywood industries including; Anthony Edwards, Sela Ward, Emily Procter, Alyson Hannigan, Laura San Giacomo and Neil Young. The Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala has been hosted by such marquis names as Jay Leno, Dennis Miller, Dana Carvey, Howie Mandel, David Spade and Craig Ferguson. Musical guests have included B.B. King, Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, Loggins & Messina, James Brown, Chris Isaak, Bonnie Raitt, The Fab Faux, and Chris Robinson.

Lucky Business:

Lucky Brand designs and produces denim, sportswear, knits, wovens, outerwear, T-shirts and active wear. Additional Lucky Brand licensed products include swimwear and accessories for men and women. The Lucky Brand collections are carried at better department and specialty stores, and at over 110 company-owned stores nationwide and three internationally.

 May 1999 marked another stage of the Lucky Brand development when Liz Claiborne, Inc. acquired 85% of the company. This strategic partnership positioned Lucky Brand for major growth, focusing on expanding its retail locations, e-commerce site (www.LuckyBrand.com) and increasing its foreign distribution. Lucky Brand will continue to license its brand in other major product categories.

Lucky Worldwide

Lucky Brand's global presence has expanded with free standing stores in Canada, Asia and the Middle East. Wholesale presence in Self ridges, London is just the beginning of European expansion.

Gene & Barry:

Rooted in rock 'n' roll with a signature sense of humor, Lucky Brand stands for independent thinking, individual style and a feeling as authentic as love. Friends since youth, creators Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman shipped the first order of Lucky Brand in 1990, and have been renowned for their great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans ever since.

Gene and Barry's life long passions were blue jeans and rock'n' roll. While experiencing the hippie-counterculture movement in the U.S. in the 1970s, the then-21-year-old Gene teamed up with 17-year-old Barry, and friend Bill Rudnick, to open a jeans shop in Florida called Four Way Street. It was 1972 and they were officially in the jeans business, "During the evenings, we'd head out to the local Laundromat with our pockets full of coins and some bleach. A few hours later, we had a stack of great washed jeans -- one of a kind and 100% authentic!"

Gene moved to Los Angeles in 1978 "with $100 in his pocket" and entered the burgeoning Los Angeles fashion industry. He started Bongo Jeans with partner Michael Caruso and helped run the Bongo brand for 15 years, helping it grow into a multi-million dollar company. In 1990, Gene left Bongo to launch his dream, Lucky Brand, and asked Barry to become his business partner once again. The Goal? To create a denim company without compromise, about great quality and good humor.

Lucky Brand became instantly recognized for its attention to fit, but there was one more detail to follow. Gene wanted to put a message in the fly, and came up with the catch phrase "Lucky You." The irreverent play on words and strategic placement of the "Lucky You" message bucked the 1990s politically correct climate, attracting some unfavorable advice, "Don't do it. People won't buy it, they'll be offended!"

As promised, Gene refused to compromise and his good-humored "Lucky You" signature was a gamble that paid off. In next to no time, the phones were ringing with people demanding those jeans with the "Lucky You" in the fly.

Lucky Brand is built on moments like these, of irrefutable attitude and vision without compromise. Los Angeles and the free-spirited Southern California lifestyle continue to inspire the company's style. The story of Lucky Brand is the story of two great friends moving to California and starting a jeans brand. The rest is history.

Our Vision:

Lucky Brand is about a moment in time, about America, youth and courage. The brand stands for a time when quality and pride came first. Lucky Brand has always marched to the tune of its own drummer, never lining up to do it like everybody else. When the rules didn't make sense, the company made up new ones. Lucky Brand Jeans was founded on the nostalgia of small town America. It's about innocence, courage and fun. It's the embodiment of what you feel when you see or hear something that takes you back to a moment when you felt free, young and hopeful. Lucky Brand is about the summer before you went off to college, the friends you grew up with, freedom from the past and no fear for what lies ahead. It's laughing at something you're really too old to still find funny. It's the last moment of innocence as you travel into adulthood.

Now that you know what Lucky Brand is, let's learn a little bit about what it's not. It's not "out there." It's not a "look." It's not about under age waif models, co-dependent lovers or buxom beauties. It's not the product of "got to put something out there..." Lucky Brand believes that part of what makes a brand great is what you don't do with it. It never compromises on quality or styling. It never sells out. Lucky Brand Jeans isn't everywhere so it's no longer special. It doesn't think short term. It doesn't cut a deal based on desperation. It doesn't put anything before product.

In a world where everything is a little too big, where nothing seems personal or original anymore, Lucky Brand stands out like the last bastion of quality and integrity left in a marketplace polluted with the compromised and mediocre. As everybody rushed to sell out, as everyone looked to cut corners and as everyone gave up on product, Lucky Brand stayed the course and found that sometimes, it's about what you don't do.

Aldo

A Brief History Of The Canadian Clothing Company:

1966 – HOME BASE
Aldo Bensadoun completes his French military service, teaching Economics at the École de Cavalerie de Saumur. Shortly thereafter, he returns to his favourite city, this time making Montreal his home.

1972 – THE EARLY DAYS
ALDO Shoes is founded as a footwear concession within a chain of popular fashion boutiques. The original group includes 4 Canadian stores in Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Winnipeg.

1978 – THE FIRST STORE
The first freestanding ALDO store opens on Sainte-Catherine Street in Montreal, Canada, ending the practice of leased departments within the chain of clothing fashion boutiques.

1980 – 1993 EXPANSION
By 1980, the company becomes independent and prospers. Over the course of the next 13 years, 95 freestanding stores operate under the trade name ALDO.

1993 – 2001 EVOLUTION
ALDO initiates its retail entry into the U.S. market. The first ALDO U.S. store opens near Boston, Massachusetts. Over the course of the next 9 years, approximately 125 stores open in the U.S. alone. By the end of this period ALDO also operates over 180 successful stores in regional malls and key fashion street locations in most major Canadian urban centers.

In addition, the Group operates over 300 stores under 8 prominent retail banners, each catering to a distinct well-defined customer group.
      
 

1994 – FIRST INTERNATIONAL STORE
ALDO ventures outside of North America under a franchise agreement in Israel.

2001 – GULF STATES
ALDO’s success in Israel sets the course for an International business model. ALDO grants franchise rights in United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states. A third franchise is granted in Saudi Arabia.

 

2002 – LONDON
ALDO graces the high streets of London, England, opening prime locations on Oxford Street and Neal Street. The brand also finds its way to the English countryside opening in mall locations including Basingstoke, Uxbridge, Camden, Croydon, Kent & Southampton.

2003 – ASIA
ALDO expands to Asia, opening its doors in Singapore.

2004 – CONTINUING EXPANSION
With the success of ALDO's stores in the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, the brand continues its global expansion into Portugal, Denmark, Malaysia, and Lebanon.

 

2005 – CONTINUING EXPANSION
ALDO is on the rise with new market openings in Australia, Ireland, India, South Africa and Poland.

2006 – CONTINUING EXPANSION
Another exciting year of growth as ALDO opens in Thailand, Taiwan, Russia, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan.

2007
Turkey, Romania, Venezuela, Panama, Indonesia, Philippines, Ukraine, Mexico, Chile and Aruba all join the ALDO family.
 

2008
ALDO opens its doors in Serbia and Montenegro.

2009
Spain, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Cyprus join the ALDO family. ALDO now operates across all continents except Antarctica!

2010 and Beyond
ALDO now has stores in Malta, Senegal, Libya, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion Island, Cote D'Ivoire, and Honduras. Now over 1,000 ALDO stores operating in 56 countries and more than 160 ALDO Accessories stores in 20 countries.

Things To Know About Aldo:

A WORD FROM ALDO
"Successful companies build on their founding traditions while looking ahead to the future - and that is what we have done at ALDO," states Aldo Bensadoun, founder & CEO of the ALDO Group, a privately-held company which operates over 1,500 retail stores, approximately 1,200 of which are under the ALDO banner. The ALDO Group is present in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland as well as in 52 franchised countries by the end of 2010.

AT ALDO, IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
We never lose sight of our vision: to make people feel good, through the products and the service we provide everyday. We are dedicated to providing Total Customer Service.

THE ALDO RECIPE
ALDO specializes in the creation of high-quality fashion footwear, leather goods and accessories. This sought-after brand pays close attention to detail and to fine craftsmanship. ALDO is dedicated to bringing you both quality and cutting-edge trends at affordable prices, season after season. What's more, ALDO's dedicated team of buyers and stylists constantly travel the globe to keep you on the pulse of fashion. Whether the latest footwear trends are breaking in London, Milan, Paris, New York or Tokyo, ALDO will have them on your feet first!

GIVING BACK
ALDO places a premium on being a good corporate citizen by working to enrich the communities in which we live and work. It's not uncommon for ALDO or its employees to participate in fundraisers or to volunteer their time to community causes. ALDO is a brand with a conscience, a brand that cares. We actively support the fight against AIDS. Giving back to our communities is a necessary and fundamental part of the work we do everyday.

 

Dans La Rue
Once again, during the holiday season, the ALDO Group prepared 500 backpacks, which were distributed to DANS LA RUE, an organization that helps youth living on the streets of Montreal.

Over 18,000 items, including backpacks, treats, snacks, personal hygiene products and warm accessories were collected or purchased for the cause!

60 volunteers from all of the ALDO Group's divisions generously donated their time to help out with the packaging of these items, which went directly to street kids.

Since its creation in 1988, DANS LA RUE is a safe place for these kids to go and a place for them to grow. They can find resources that have been tailored to their individual circumstances. But above all, they can draw on an unending source of respect, friendship and encouragement.

 

ALDO fights AIDS
ALDO has been involved with the fight against AIDS since 1985, a time when the cause carried with it an unfortunate stigma. Over the years, ALDO has committed millions of dollars to AIDS awareness and research organizations, including CanfAR, AmfAR and YouthAIDS.

In Fall 2005 and Summer 2006 ALDO took a stand with the launch of the ALDO Fights AIDS campaign, an effort that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to this important cause. Amongst the diverse and talented group of celebrities from both the big-screen and music industry elite who donated their time and energy to the campaign are some of today's most influential celebrities: Ludacris, Charlize Theron, Michelle Yeoh, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, and the list goes on! The campaign used a powerful combination of top celebrities and multiple media genres to communicate real facts associated with the disease.

As part of the campaign, ALDO designed a series of limited-edition empowerment tags that were sold in-stores and online at www.youthaids-aldo.org. With 100% of net proceeds benefiting YouthAIDS programs worldwide, the simple act of buying one empowerment tag for only $5 helps to educate and protect a young person from HIV/AIDS for 6 months.

TOGETHER WITH YOU, OUR CUSTOMER, ALDO IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE...

Aldo Store Located In A Toronto,Canada Mall

Ladies Heels Very Chic & Classy

Sexy Female Heels For All Ladies

Aeropostale

 History

The first Aéropostale store opened in New York City, New York by R.H. Macy & Co., Inc. in 1987. The Aéropostale name is French for "air mail" and originated from the 1920s French/Latin-American airmail firm Compagnie Générale Aéropostale.

Federated Department Stores purchased R.H. Macy & Co., Inc., Aéropostale's parent company, in 1994.  In 1998, MSS Delaware Inc. and Bear Stearns purchased Aéropostale and its 119 stores for approximately $15 million. Aéropostale went public in 2002.

Aéropostale launched its e-commerce web store in early 2005.Total net sales from the web store for the fiscal year of 2008 was $79.1 million. 

International Expansion

Aéropostale at Easton Town Center

In the summer of 2006, it was announced that Aéropostale would enter the Canadian Market. On August 3, 2007, the first Canadian Aéropostale store opened in White Oaks Mall in London, Ontario. Aeropostale now operates 45 stores in major malls across Canada with the most recent opening November 5, 2010 in the Southgate Center, Edmonton Alberta.

In May 2008, Aéropostale opened its first store in Puerto Rico at Plaza Carolina. The following weeks, Aéropostale opened two more stores located in Plaza Las Américas and in Prime Outlets, Puerto Rico. The company plans to open 12 to 14 more stores in Puerto Rico by the end of 2010.

In March 2009, Aéropostale expanded its operations to the Middle East, opening its first store in Dubai, Emirates. The company plans to open over 20 stores in the region over the next few years, including stores in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and another store in the United Arab Emirates.

Aero is one of the most popular teenage clothing stores around the United States. Close behind includes Sephora, American Eagle, Hollister, and Hot Topic.

Subsidiaries

To leverage the strength of the Aéropostale teen and adult brand, the company plans to focus its energies on its namesake chain and a new chain called P.S. from Aéropostale, geared at children. P.S. from Aéropostale offers apparel at value prices to the 7–12 age market.

The company also a secondary brand called Jimmy'Z that focused on surf and skater clothing. The 122 stores were branded as more upscale with higher price points than its parent chain. The brand was discontinued in January 1306 and it replaced by P.S. from Aeropostale. after many years Aeropostale hated costumers teethe.

Corporate Affairs

Competition

Aéropostale's mainly competes with other outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch and its subsidiary retailer Hollister Co., and American Eagle. In 2008, Aéropostale generated $1.59 billion in net sales, while its demographic-specific competitors, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister reported sales of $3.7 billion, $3 billion and $3.1 billion respectively. Old Navy reported sales of $3.5 billion within the same time period. Aéropostale's younger brand, P.S. from Aéropostale, competes with brands such as A&F's younger subsidiary Abercrombie.

Promotions

In 2007, the company began doing promotions with successful figures to increase brand awareness. The first promotion was selling the Fall Out Boy album Infinity on High with a store-exclusive T-shirt. Other offers include a free beach towel with every $50 purchase and a free holiday bear with a purchase of over $100, each promotion in its respective season. These holiday bears are also donated by Aéropostale stores to local charities in their respective communities. In 2008, Aéropostale, along with not-for-profit youth organization Do Something, launched "Teens for Jeans", a campaign to raise awareness of teen homelessness. Stores would collect lightly used jeans and donate them to local charities. In return, donators received a 20% (2008) or 25% (2009) discount on a new pair of Aéropostale jeans. In 2008, the campaign raised over 125,000 pairs of jeans. In 2008 and 2009, Aéropostale donated 10,000 pairs of new jeans to the campaign. In 2010, after the aftermath of the Earthquake in Haiti, for every pair of jeans that was donated by customers, Aéropostale sent a brand new pair to Haiti. Also they promoted the show Greek Season 1 DVD with a free T-shirt with a $50 purchase.

Legal issues

• In March 2007, Aéropostale was accused of infringing a patent owned by Card Activation Technologies, Inc. in a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Illinois. However, in a separate lawsuit on the same patent, Card Activation received a ruling on claim construction which it interpreted as "extremely favourable" to its interpretation of the patent and its "pursuit of infringe-rs" of the patent.

• In June 2007, Aéropostale was accused of infringing a patent owned by Picture Patents, LLC in a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York.

• In July 2009, Aéropostale was accused of infringing a patent owned by Furnace Brook, LLC in a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Illinois.

• Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Christopher Finazzo was terminated in November 2006 after an investigation by the Board of Directors revealed that he had concealed and failed to disclose personal and business interests with South Bay Apparel, a major vendor. The SEC issued an investigation on the Finazzo matter in January 2008. A criminal indictment was unsealed and announced June 11, 2010 in U.S. Court in Brooklyn, NY charging Finazzo and Doug Dey, the owner of South Bay with wire and mail fraud conspiracy.

About Aéropostale, Inc.

Aéropostale, Inc. is a mall-based, specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories, principally targeting 14 to 17 year-old young women and men through its Aéropostale® stores and 7 to 12 year-old kids through its P.S. from Aéropostale™ stores. The Company provides customers with a focused selection of high-quality, active-oriented, fashion and fashion basic merchandise at compelling values. Aéropostale® maintains control over its proprietary brands by designing, sourcing, marketing and selling all of its own merchandise. Aéropostale® products can only be purchased in its Aéropostale stores and online at www.Aéropostale.com. P.S. from Aéropostale™ products can be purchased in P.S. from Aéropostale™ stores and online at www.ps4u.com. The Company currently operates 885 Aéropostale stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico, 36 Aéropostale stores in Canada and 2 P.S. from Aéropostale stores in one state.

 About P.S. from Aéropostale™

The new P.S. from Aéropostale™ brand offers trend-right merchandise at compelling values for girls and boys ages seven to twelve. The P.S. from Aéropostale store provides an experience that is cool for kids and enjoyable for parents. The Company plans to open a total of approximately ten stores, primarily in the New York metropolitan area, during fiscal 2009. P.S. from Aéropostale products can only be purchased in its stores or online through its e-commerce website ps4u.com

Hennes & Mauritz (H & M)

 

Address:
Box 1421
SE-111 84 Stockholm
Sweden
Fax: +46 08-796 57 03
http://www.hm.com

Statistics:
Public Company
Incorporated: 1947 as Hennes
Employees: 17,000
Sales: SKr 26.6 billion (US $3.15 billion) (1998)
Stock Exchanges: Stockholm
NAIC: 452110 Department Stores; 454110 Mail-Order Houses

Company Perspectives:

H&M's business concept is "Fashion and quality at the best price." H&M has a design and buying department which creates H&M's collections, making it possible to offer the latest fashions. H&M can ensure the best price by: having few middlemen; buying large volumes; having depth and breadth of knowledge within every aspect of textile production; buying the right goods from the right market; being cost-conscious at every stage; efficient distribution. A number of measures have been introduced to secure and raise the quality of the goods, and by tightening the quality standards, H&M has also succeeded in developing and improving its suppliers. H&M also has the resources to carry out careful and effective quality controls. In addition to good quality products, the quality concept also requires that the garments are manufactured without the use of environmentally hazardous chemicals or harmful substances and that they are produced under good working conditions.


Company History:

With more than 550 stores in 12 countries across Europe, Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) has quickly become one of the world's most successful clothing retailers. Each year, the Sweden-based retail chain sells more than 300 million primarily company-designed garments and accessories, including cosmetics, worth some SKr 26.6 billion (US$3.15 billion). The company has been so successful at exporting its low-price, high-quality clothing fashions that more than 80 percent of its sales are realized outside of Sweden; in fact, since the mid-1990s, the company's largest single market has been Germany, where the company's 150 stores represent some 30 percent of total sales. H&M has also been expanding beyond Sweden with its catalog sales, operated under the name H&M Rowells, which remains limited to the Scandinavian market in the 1990s.
H&M's steady growth--which has seen its sales double in the four years between 1994 and 1998--can be expected to continue, with new store openings averaging some 60 per year. The company has only just begun to tap its growth potential. In Germany, the company represents less than two percent of the total retail clothing market; H&M remains similarly limited in England, where the company's market share is less than 0.5 percent.

H&M's expansion has barely touched such major clothing markets as France, Italy, and Spain. The company has been moving to fill out its southern European map, however. In 1998 the company entered France with six stores in Paris. Spain was added to the list in 1999, with the proposed opening of three stores. H&M is also making its first forays into the United States, a market already somewhat crowded with retailers marketing a similar concept--fashionable, low-priced, quality clothing targeted especially at 25- to 35-year-olds but extended also to include children and mature shoppers. Plans to open the company's first U.S. stores were announced in April 1999. In Europe, the company's chief competition remains the Spain-based Zara chain, the U.S.-based Gap chain, and, to a more limited extent, Italy's Benetton.
H&M operates under the strategy of "Fashion and quality at the best price." H&M stores are closely guided from the company's Stockholm headquarters to achieve a uniform concept--it is said that a sweater featured in a window display in London will be featured in exactly the same way in Reykjavik and all other H&M stores. Such control over its image has enabled H&M to build a consistent brand appeal throughout the wholly company-owned chain. H&M's low-debt, cash-rich position enables it to respond quickly to developing trends. New clothing products are introduced on a near-daily basis--breaking the traditional seasonal stock rotation found in the retail clothing industry. Clothing items rarely remain on H&M's shelves for more than a month; this rotation encourages repeat shopping.

Don Perry Swaggin With H&M Henley White Stripped Top

 H&M also controls the fashions featured in its stores: almost all of its clothing sales fall under the company's own range of brand designs. The company employs a staff of more than 50 designers, who create the designs for such H&M brands as Hennes (which means "hers" in Swedish), Woman Collection, and LOGG, for women; Uptown; LOGG, and Contemporary for men; Rocky, Rocky Girl, and Impuls for teenagers; and Baby Baby, LOGG, Rocky, and C-Dept for children. The company also sells cosmetics under the H&M Cosmetics, FOB (Face of Beauty), ResQ, Steele, Magnum, and Basic Spa brand names. H&M does not manufacture its own clothing but instead works with some 1,600 suppliers, principally in Europe and Asia, under strict quality and other human resource standards.
H&M continues to be majority controlled by the founding Persson family, who own some 70 percent of the company's stock. In 1998, however, chief architect of the company's expansion Stefan Persson was named the company's executive chairman. In his stead as managing director, the company has placed Fabian Mansson, former buying director.
Forming a Fashion Empire in the 1940s

H&M was founded as Hennes in 1947 by Erling Persson. A former salesman and founder of another company, Pennspecialisten, in Västerås, Sweden, Persson had discovered a new retail clothing store concept during a trip to the United States. Persson decided to import this retail concept--that of high turnover produced by low prices&mdashø Sweden. From the first Hennes store, which featured exclusively women's clothing, opened in Västerås, Hennes expanded throughout Sweden, covering much of the country through the 1960s.
Hennes also began to export its low-price clothing concept, beginning with neighbor Norway in 1964, and joined by Denmark in 1967. By the end of the 1960s, Hennes looked to extend its range beyond women's clothing. The company also sought further expansion in Stockholm. These two goals were fulfilled with the purchase, in 1968, of Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and gun shop on Stockholm's Sergelgatan. As part of the purchase, Hennes also received a large stock of men's&mdash′imarily sportswear--clothing items.
These were quickly added to the company's retail offering; the company's name was changed to Hennes & Mauritz to reflect its expanded product range. At the same time, Hennes & Mauritz added a line of children's clothing to its stores, so that, by 1970, the company offered clothing for much of the family (two more segments, teenagers and babies, were added in 1976 and 1978, respectively). The Mauritz addition did more than add its name and expand the company's clothing range. It helped transform the company's product offering itself. The introduction of sportswear led the company to develop clothing that better reflected the spirit of the times, as a new generation of youth clamored for clothing that allowed them to express their individuality. H&M began to develop the casual, down-to-earth yet fashionable image that proved a success in its later expansion.

Seeking further growth, the company made a new acquisition in 1973, buying up fellow Swedish company Beklädnadskompaniet. In the next year, as H&M prepared further foreign growth, the company went public with a listing on the Stockholm stock exchange. The Persson family, however, retained the largest share of the company stock, leaving control securely in the family's hands.
During the 1970s, H&M began to look beyond its Scandinavian base. In 1976 the company entered the British market&mdashø mixed results. While H&M's British growth long remained limited, reaching just 25 in the late 1990s, the company posted better results on the European continent. At home, the company acquired the Rowells mail-order company, which became the base for H&M Rowells, the company's mail-order subsidiary.
The next move for H&M was to Switzerland, where the company's stores quickly became a mainstay in that country's major cities. Switzerland became one of H&M's principal foreign markets. In 1980 H&M launched its first German store. The H&M concept somewhat revolutionized the German clothing retail market, which was described as having remained rather stodgy. H&M's informality also raised some ripples in Germany, as employees were more than encouraged to drop the formal "Sie" form in their conversations with other employees. Nevertheless, the H&M concept caught on well with the German consumer at a time when few other retail brands existed on the German retail scene.
"Global Fashion" for the 1990s

A new generation took the lead of H&M when Erling Persson turned over the company's managing director position to his son Stefan Persson. Under the younger Persson, H&M continued its international expansion, while retaining tight control of the H&M image. H&M continued to expand its presence in its existing markets throughout the 1980s, steadily opening new stores. By the 1990s, H&M would grow to become one of the largest retailers in Sweden and that country's fifth largest company.
In the late 1980s, H&M attempted to diversify its brand line by opening the Galne Gunnar (Crazy Gunnar) chain of cut-price stores. After expanding the chain to 18 stores in Sweden, the company decided to abandon the concept after ten years, redeveloping the existing Galne Gunnar stores as H&M stores. Sticking with the H&M name appeared to be the most profitable future for the company. Growth of the H&M chain, particularly in foreign expansion, stepped up dramatically in the 1990s.
The time was ripe for what Stefan Persson described as "global fashion." Persson had been quick to recognize the emergence of fashions and trends--born of MTV, Hollywood, Madison Avenue advertising, and the Internet--that transcended national borders to become fads among youth and other age groups across the world. H&M, with its emphasis on uniformity among its stores, was well-positioned to appeal to this new generation of consumers. As a nod perhaps to the times, the company also created a new line of clothes, under the BiB (Big is Beautiful) brand name.
The company's international expansion stepped up in earnest. After opening in the Netherlands in 1989, the company moved into Belgium (1992), Austria (1994), and Luxembourg (1996). By 1994, the company's sales had topped SKr 13.5 billion; more than 70 percent of sales came from beyond Sweden. That same year the company's German stores overtook Sweden to become H&M's largest single market. By the end of the decade, Germany would represent more than double the company's Swedish sales--despite H&M's barely two percent of the German market.
International expansion continued in the second half of the 1990s, as the company opened some 60 or more stores per year. Finland was the next market to be tapped, in 1997; the following year, France became the company's new frontier. In 1998 six H&M stores appeared in France, primarily in Paris and surrounding areas. Some analysts wondered whether H&M's low-priced fashion concept would appeal to the more snobbish French clothing shopper, and questioned whether the company's success among Northern European countries would translate to the southern European markets.

Indeed, H&M had remained notably absent from Italy and Spain, two of the most important European retail clothing markets--perhaps the company had sought to avoid head-to-head battles with similar concept brands Zara, of Spain, and Benetton, of Italy. Nonetheless, in April 1999, the company announced its intention to enter the Spanish market by the end of the year, with two or three as a start. At the same time, the company announced its intention to reinvigorate its struggling British operation, with calls for opening a large number of new stores and to update a number of its existing locations.
Throughout its history, H&M had remained entirely in its European base. In 1999, however, the company judged the time auspicious for a U.S. entry, with the first stores expected to open in early 2000. It remained to be seen if the company could successfully re-import the formula of low-priced, quality fashions that had provided the inspiration for its own beginnings more than 50 years before.
Principal Subsidiaries: H&M Rowells.