In which Swedish city did H&M open its first store?

H&M opened its first store in Västerås, Sweden. The shop opened in 1947 under the name Hennes, a Swedish word meaning “hers.”

The store was founded by Swedish entrepreneur Erling Persson after he was inspired by American retail during a trip to New York. Hennes initially focused on women’s clothing and built its business around fashionable designs at accessible prices.

Stockholm is a common mix-up because Hennes opened its first store there in 1952, five years after the original Västerås location. H&M’s modern name came later: in 1968, Persson acquired Mauritz Widforss, a Stockholm retailer specializing in hunting and fishing equipment. The combined company began selling men’s and children’s clothing and became Hennes & Mauritz.

Västerås therefore marks the beginning of the company, while Stockholm represents an important early expansion. H&M eventually shortened the public-facing name to the familiar H&M, but the corporate name remains H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB.