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Exclusive: H&M speaks to A+M

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H&M's entry into the Malaysian market was marked with the launch of its first store at Lot 10, which opened to much fanfare on Sept 22.Karl-Johan Persson (pictured), CEO of H&M Hemnes and Mauritz AB, and Lex Keijser, country manager, Greater China, Singapore and Malaysia, speak to Advertising + Marketing in this exclusive one-on-one interview.On entering the Asian marketPersson: We have a rapid growth rate, with plans to enter five new markets namely Bulgaria, Latvia, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico in 2012. We also plan to open a total of 275 new stores this year. We still have a lot to do in existing markets. But before we enter a new market, there's a lot of homework to be done. We have to look at the demographics, fashion interest, competition, and most importantly to find the right location and size for the store. And we want to do it in a qualitative way. We have looked at Malaysia for quite a while now and we could have picked up the pace but we wanted to make sure we have a good framework in place.On the Malaysian marketKeijser: I've been in Asia for six years now, starting in Hong Kong and last year Singapore. Other than culture and language differences, the behaviour of the consumers in all three markets is the same. The only difference is that we sell fewer winter garments here.On H&M's expansion plans in MalaysiaKeijser: The second H&M store will open at Setia Alam on Oct 3. It's hard to say how many stores we plan to open in Malaysia.Persson: In Sweden, the population is 9 million and we have 100+ H&M stores there. Here, the population is 27 million. There's great potential to grow, but we'll take it one step at a time.On working with agenciesPersson: We do a lot of our creatives in house. But when we do work with external parties, we of course want to be working with top-notch creatives. We only want to work with the best. But the best doesn't necessarily have to be the biggest. The cultural fit is important. We want people who fit the H&M culture - it's about teamwork, having fun, creativity and innovation and not being too serious or prestigious.On dominating the marketPersson: We face competition in all the markets where are in today. But we are doing well and I think it's because we bring something different to the market. We offer fashion, quality, price and sustainability of shopping experience. We have a team of 150 talented designers. We create our own designs so the fashion is different from that of other brands. The quality is different and the price is really good. So combining the three and sustainability, we have the best offerings in the market.On their biggest challengePersson: I think about H&M 24/7. I sleep well though. I feel confident with what we're doing and the team that we have but I'm constantly thinking how we can improve, grow and maintain the culture. But it's fun. It's exciting.Keijser: I sleep well too. And like Karl, I always think of how we can improve ourselves. That's most important. We are a huge team and that motivates us. If we can bring that drive and motivation to our staff in our stores, this will rub off on our customers. That's the best form of marketing.

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