H&M to open first two Afound stores and launch global website this month

The H&M Group has revealed the first two locations of its new outlet retail concept Afound and the go-live date for its global website at afound.com.

Stores will open in Stockholm and Malmö in Sweden on 14 and 16 June respectively, while the website will go live to co-incide with the openings. H&M says its plans to open stores in most major Swedish towns with Gothenburg, Skärholmen and Kristianstad opening later this year.

The Afound stores and website will sell off-price clothing from the H&M brand portfolio, which includes H&M, COS, & Other Stories, Arket, Weekday and Monki, along with as yet unnamed third party Swedish and international brands across a range of price points.

Afound creative director Mattias Ekberg said the stores would elevate the perception of the outlet. "The idea was to create an innovative marketplace in the off-price sector with a relevant, curated and inspirational offering for our customers. We have focused strongly on the experience in both the physical and the digital store. Some people might call us an outlet, but our vision is for the customer to experience a style and deal-hunting paradise,” he said.

“We are very much looking forward to the imminent opening of our first two stores in Stockholm and Malmö, and our online store. Our team is happy and excited about finally having the chance to introduce our concept which will, we believe, give our customers, a completely new shopping experience in an exciting segment,” added Afound managing director Fredrik Svartling.

“We want to make it easy for our customers by being where they are, whether it’s digitally or in selected physical stores, and by offering a range tailored to local demand. We will be offering a large number of attractive brands at really good prices,” Svartling added.