H&M launching online shop

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 09:33 by Sarah Collinson

High street clothes brand H&M has announced that it will be opening its first internet store later in the year, allowing its customers the chance to get their hands on the latest fashions when online shopping.

Although H&M already has a detailed and engaging website for UK users, it does not currently allow them to buy any of the clothes online, instead directing them to find their nearest retail outlet. This will all change on the 16th of September when the H&M online shop opens its doors.

H&M has said that it will stock a wide range of products online, with a line up that outdoes most of its high street locations, thanks to the inclusion of homeware products as well as the standard array of clothes, accessories and beauty products.

It is interesting that so few of the other high street fashion brands have taken it upon themselves to set up a portal for shopping online, with other major brands such as Gap and Zara lacking the feature that will soon become a key asset at H&M. It is clearly a significant step for any brand to take and ensuring that customers are able to carry out safe shopping online is important to maintain the integrity of any new retail website.

If you happen to be familiar with H&M's existing website and you subscribe to its email newsletter then you will be given access to the online store a week earlier, from the 9th of September.

Once the H&M online store goes live, it is sure to attract a good deal of custom, given that the brand performs well on the high street. However, it will remain important for consumers to practice the key rules of safe shopping online and to only go through the official, secure channels, avoiding the spam emails that will almost inevitably attempt to exploit the store's opening.