H&M unveils China design hub at CIIE to improve localisation as foreign brands face pressure to meet consumer demands
- H&M launches design hub at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai this week to improve the localisation of its products
- Swedish fast fashion giant faced a boycott in China in 2021 having decided not to buy cotton produced in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region since 2020
Swedish fast fashion giant H&M unveiled a China design hub this week amid efforts to improve the localisation of its products, as foreign firms struggle to cater to the changing demands of Chinese consumers.
But at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Monday, H&M vowed a continued commitment to the Chinese market by seeking to get closer to its customers as their tastes and needs change.
“Our ambition is … to have a local team located here in Shanghai, close to the market, close to the customers, and close to our supply chain,” said China design hub head Andreas Lowenstam.
The number of H&M stores across China has plunged to 317 as of the end of last month from nearly 500 in 2019, according to statistics from GeoHey, a Beijing-based geolocation data provider.
H&M products were removed from all major Chinese e-commerce platforms amid the boycott in 2021 after saying it no longer sourced cotton from Xinjiang in response to accusations of forced labour. Beijing has repeatedly denied the accusations.
