The world”s second－largest clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMb.ST) may launch a new brand in 2017.

Hennes & Mauritz AB CEO Karl－Johan Persson in the second－quarter earnings analyst meeting revealed a new brand concept will be completely different from the group”s flagship brand H & M, also unlike other sister brand H & M”s. These brands, COS and & Other Stories positioned slightly higher than H & M, more mature style, Weekday, Cheap Monday and Monki favor parity price close to the people.

& Other Stories is Hennes & Mauritz AB brand new concept, first flagship store in 2013 and has already set up more than 20 stores in 10 countries in London on Regent Street Regent Street begins. & Other Stories and COS are focused on the expansion of target groups in recent years, the two brands to the (2014) annually into the United States market, Nils Vinge Group Investor Relations Director revealed Monki and Weekday will accelerate development.

As of the present (2015) the first half of fiscal year 2015 on May 31 of, COS and & Other Stories, respectively, a net increase of nine and seven stores, the total number of stores reached 123 and 24, the total number of outlets for the group 3,639 rooms. Hennes & Mauritz AB strong sales in the second quarter, pushing net profit achieved growth of 11.1% to $ 6.453 billion kronor ($ 783 million), in line with market expectations； tax sales by an annual rate of 21% to 45.867 billion Swedish krone (about 5.58 billion US dollars) exceeded market expectations of $ 4.47 billion. However, gross profit margin fell to the lowest value in the past nine years, 59.4%, lower than the market forecast of 59.8% －59.9%, 60.8% over the same period last year fell 140 basis points, the Group also warned the second half of the floating dollar would further erode the substantial increase in procurement costs gross profit. Nils Vinge represents the group will not consider the higher costs to consumers.

Source: China Textile Economic Information Network

全球第二大服飾零售商Hennes & Mauritz AB(HMb.ST)可能會在2017年推出全新品牌。

Hennes & Mauritz AB執行長Karl-Johan Persson在二季財報分析師會上透露全新的品牌概念將完全不同於集團的旗艦品牌H&M，亦有別於H&M的其他姐妹品牌。這些品牌中，COS和& Other Stories定位比H&M略高，風格也較成熟，Weekday、Cheap Monday和Monki偏向平價，價格親民。

& Other Stories是Hennes & Mauritz AB最新的品牌概念，2013年在倫敦Regent Street攝政街開始首間旗艦店至今已經在10個國家設立了超過20間專賣店。& Other Stories與COS都是集團近年的重點擴張對象，兩個品牌去(2014)年均進軍了美國市場，集團投資者關係總監Nils Vinge透露Monki及Weekday亦會加速發展。在截至本(2015)年5月31日的2015會計年度上半年，COS和& Other Stories分別淨增了9間和7間專賣店，門市總數分別達到123間和24間，集團的門市總數為3,639間。

Hennes & Mauritz AB第二季銷售強勁，推動淨利潤取得11.1%的成長，增至64.53億瑞典克朗（約合7.83億美元），符合市場預期；稅後銷售按年增率21%至458.67億瑞典克朗（約合55.8億美元）超出市場預期的44.7億美元。不過毛利率跌至過去9年的最低值59.4%，低於市場預測的59.8%-59.9%，較去年同期60.8%大跌140個基點，集團更警告下半年美元浮動將大幅提高採購成本進而蠶食毛利。Nils Vinge表示集團暫不考慮將上升的成本轉嫁給消費者。

資料來源: 中國紡織經濟信息網