H & M performed strongly in 2015 – Today’s Trading

H & amp; M’s CEO Karl Johan Persson said in his CEO commented that the company is in a very expansive phase. The plan is to increase the number of stores by 10 – 15 percent per year in the future.

– 2015 has been a very expansive year for H & amp; M Group. We have opened 413 new stores net of which 249 in the fourth quarter, ten new H & amp; M-online markets, and had successful establishment of the new retail markets: India, South Africa, Peru, Taiwan and Macao. Overall, we now have stores in 61 markets and online sales in 23 of these, he says.

Sales development for all Group brands: H & amp; M, H & amp; M Home, COS, & amp; Other Stories, Weekday, Monki and Cheap Monday, he estimates as well.

During the year the group sold for a total of 210 billion including VAT, which is an increase of 19 percent in Swedish kronor. In local currencies the increase was 11 percent.

Net profit after tax increased to SEK 20.9 billion, which is the H & amp; M’s best results ever – despite the strong US dollar increased costs purchases significantly .

Full year (2014-12-01 – 2015-11-30)

• Well-received collections for H & amp; M Group’s brands contributed to the good sales of 210 billion including VAT and increased market share.
• H & amp; M Group’s sales excluding VAT increased by 19 percent to 180,861 (151,419) million Swedish kronor during the financial year. In local currencies the increase was 11 percent.
• The gross profit increased by 16 percent to 103.167 billion Swedish kronor (89,052), corresponding to a gross margin of 57.0 percent (58.8).
• The profit after financial items increased by SEK 1.3 billion and amounted to 27.242 billion crowns (25,895), an increase of 5 percent. Consolidated profit after tax rose to 20.898 billion crowns (19 976), corresponding to SEK 12:63 (12:07) per share, an increase of 5 percent.
• The increase in earnings means that SEK 75 million has been allocated to H & amp; M’s reward program HIP, H & amp; M Incentive Program, which caters to all employees.
• Very strong expansion during the year. In total, 413 (379) new stores net and ten new online markets. At year-end, the number of online markets to 23 and the number of stores to 3,924 in 61 markets.
• Over 16 000 new jobs were created in the H & amp; M Group during 2015. At year-end number of employees totaled just over 148 000 (132 000).