H&M Online U.S. Expansion?

H&M is a store that is relatively new to the U.S. consumer (H&M standing for Hennes & Maurtiz).  The first time I went into the store, I was amazed at how fashionable the clothing was and sleek the style was for the price. They have some pretty amazing deals as far high quality clothing for a very affordable price is concerned. Their brand allows people to be expressive without having to spend hundreds of dollars. This is something I strive to do with Far From Average Clothing. To leave people feeling as though they don't have to spend a lot of money to have fashionable looking clothing items.

However, in my opinion H&M is not utilizing their potential in the U.S. market. According to H&M's website, they have 2,200 stores in 38 different markets. Their top three markets are Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden respectively. All three of these countries have had H&M stores present for 20+ years. In 2000 the first H&M store was finally opened in America, over 50 years after the first store. It quickly grew from solely being on the East coast to being all across the country. Now there are over 200 H&M stores in America, which is more than the United Kingdom with roughly 190 and Sweden with roughly 170.

See the problem yet?
Although the United States has more stores than Sweden and the United Kingdom, they don't bring in as much revenue, why is that?
This is my point exactly.
In just 10 short years H&M Stores have exploded in the U.S. market so much so that there are more stores here than countries who have been exposed to the brand for over 20 years. This could be simply the size of the country, but why isn't the United States in the top three markets? One reason could be that H&M does not offer United States online shopping.

People nowadays are all about convenience. The top three markets, Germany, the U.K., and Sweden, all offer online shopping. Even though they may not have as many actual stores, they make more money. If H&M brought online shopping to the United State consumer, they would be able to tap into a rapidly expanding market. According to TechCrunch.com the E-commerce market is expanding exponentially. By 2012 it is expected that online sales in the U.S. will be between seven and eight percent of the total U.S. retail sales. See the article here.

Now I know there could be potential drawbacks of online sales for H&M in the U.S. because of shipping costs and distribution costs, however I think that overall this is a market that H&M cannot afford to ignore.

Personally, I think it'd be great for them to expand to online sales. They could simply implement the same approach they already have in their other markets. It's not a completely new concept for their brand.

What are your thoughts? Should H&M expand online shipping to the U.S.? Do you shop online for clothing?

First Post: A Few Announcements

What's up world?

It's been awhile since I've released a new shirt, but trust me, the new designs are coming along great. I have to make sure we only deliver the freshest and most exclusive shirts for the fans! All the support over the last year has meant so much to me! My plan is to finish learning how to print with the new machine and then I'll be coming out with roughly 2 designs for girls and guys, a bunch of different colors, and a few different types of shirts. Also, really pushing for a photoshoot for the new spring line too. I have a couple models and photographers in mind, but we'll see how it all pans out.

You will be able to stay up to date on everything from Far From Average Clothing and some of my side projects with this page better than on the Facebook or Myspace page because this is a little more free-spirited and creative.

I plan on blogging on business, fashion, music, art, and everything in between!

Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts, the brand is all about the fans. BE ABOUT IT!