H&M is the Swedish fast-fashion retailer founded in Västerås in 1947.
Erling Persson opened the first shop in Västerås, Sweden, in 1947 under the name Hennes, which means “hers” in Swedish. The original business sold women’s clothing, distinguishing it from the broader H&M brand that shoppers know today.
The name changed in 1968, when Persson acquired Mauritz Widforss, a Stockholm retailer associated with hunting and outdoor clothing. The acquisition added menswear to the business and produced the name Hennes & Mauritz, later shortened in everyday use to H&M. The company eventually expanded beyond Scandinavia, opening its first store outside the region in London in 1976.
H&M is sometimes mixed up with Zara because both are major European fast-fashion retailers. They are separate companies: Zara belongs to Spain’s Inditex group, while H&M is headquartered in Stockholm and grew from Persson’s original Swedish women’s-wear shop. H&M later broadened its portfolio with brands such as COS, Weekday, Monki, ARKET, and H&M Home.