Let’s Discuss Shopping at H&M in 2026

I started Wardrobe Oxygen in 2005, and have been writing fashion advice for this site regularly since then. Needless to say, there is plenty of outdated content on this style blog. And one is this piece I originally wrote in 2016 about my picks from the retailer H&M and a discount code for 25% off. I haven't seen H&M offer discount codes like this since the pandemic, but folks still come to this blog post hoping for a code. I'm sorry to disappoint, but while you're here, let's discuss shopping at H&M in 2026. Is H&M ethical and does the retailer deserves your money, even at 25% off?

Let's Discuss Shopping at H&M in 2026: Is it Ethical?

Over the years, I have purchased a few things from H&M. Some, like my oversized paisley scarf, have been a favorite for well over a decade for style and quality. I've found cute and reasonably priced items like knit wrap dresses which got plenty of wear. I appreciated all the initiatives H&M implemented to be a more environmentally conscious company. But in recent years, I have found H&M to diminish in regards to quality and ethics.

The History of H&M

H&M has a very long history, especially in this day and age of retailers shuttering left and right. And that history has always been rooted in fast and accessible fashion.

In 1947, Erling Persson opened a womenswear store in Västerås, Sweden named Hennes, Swedish for “Hers.” Persson had visited America the year prior, where he noted the booming popularity of affordable, off-the-rack fashion and wanted to bring a similar concept to Scandinavia. The concept performed quite well, with Hennes opening a second location in Stockholm.

In 1968, Persson acquired the hunting apparel retailer Mauritz Widforss, which led to adding menswear to the boutiques, and the name was changed to Hennes & Mauritz (AKA H&M). By 1969, there were 42 H&M stores across Sweden. In 1974, H&M was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, and in 1976, it opened its first international shop with a location in London. By 1977, along with apparel, H&M was selling underwear, cosmetics, and a teen line inspired by American denim trends.

H&M has always been at the cutting edge of marketing and promotion from full-page ads in prominent Swedish newspapers in 1954, to 1973, where H&M hired celebrities as models (ABBA's Anni-Frid Lyngstad). In 1980, H&M acquired Rowells, the Swedish mail order company, starting its catalog division and in 1997, the company had the foresight to purchase the domain hm.com and began online retail the year after. In 2000, H&M opened its first store in New York City which launched a global takeover.

At the time of writing this, H&M has almost 5,000 stores across the globe, hiring over 140,000 employees. In 2025, the company's net sales was approximately 21.6 billion USD. What's funny, is the company was down in revenue from the previous year, but increased profit by 8% and increased by 7% the year prior. You don't need to be an accountant to know that math isn't mathing. Something has to give to increase profit while reducing revenue.

Is H&M an Ethical Company?

I believe in voting with my wallet, and often do research to see if companies deserve my hard-earned money (and to be recommended on Wardrobe Oxygen). I know H&M has a mixed reputation for being an ethical company: it gets props for sustainable initiatives but then H&M is sued for misleading customers or is called out for greenwashing. But companies constantly are changing and growing and learning. Is H&M an ethical company these days?

Instead of telling you what to think, I decided to share my research on H&M's practices for sustainability, ethics, politics, employee experience, and how it treats its customers. You can then make your own decision regarding shopping at this very popular apparel retailer.

H&M's Clothing Recycling Program

H&M had a clothing recycling program where pieces provided by customers would be worn, reused or recycled. However, an investigation found some of these these garments were instead dumped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, and Mali, with one piece donated in Sweden traveled for five months and over 24K km before reaching the dumping site.

Garments donated in very good condition were not sorted out to be reworn; a like-new pair of pants donated in Berlin was sent to a Czech Republic company operating landfills, waste disposal, and downcycling of textiles waste. (Changing Markets Foundation)

H&M's Conscious Collection

In Spring 2019, H&M launched its Conscious Collection, where each garment was made from a sustainably-sourced material, such as 100% organic cotton, Tencel, or recycled polyester. (H&M)

However, in 2022, an investigation found that H&M was misleading customers with unclear and insufficiently substantiated sustainability claims. This investigation caused H&M to donate €400,000 to sustainability causes in compensation, and also remove the “Conscious” and “Conscious Choice” labels. (ESG Today)

H&M and AI

Continuing to be at the cutting edge of marketing and promotion, it is no surprise that H&M is one of the first major apparel retailers to embrace AI by creating digital twins of 30 different models. H&M worked directly with the models to create their digital counterparts using generative AI. This way, these digital twins can be easily dropped into campaigns without booking new photo shoots.

Vilma Sjöberg is one of the models who got an H&M digital twin. She shared, “Even my boyfriend couldn’t tell the difference between a picture of the real me and the one created by AI.” (Business of Fashion) According to H&M, the models themselves retain full control over their twins. (Business of Fashion)

H&M Usage of the Higg Materials Sustainability Index

H&M used to use the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) on product pages to measure the sustainability of its garments. This tool would share data such as using X% less water than conventional materials or that the global warming impact was Y% less than conventional materials.” However, the tool's usage was paused indefinitely because retailers including H&M were misusing the data and providing unsubstantiated claims to their customers. (Quartz)

H&M Working Conditions

• H&M came under fire in 2018 for sexually and physically abuse of women working in its Asian factories. (The Guardian)
• In 2021, a report stated H&M allegedly failed to facilitate agreed safety renovations at supplier factories in Bangladesh as required by their obligations under the Bangladesh Accord. (Business and Human Rights Centre)
• As recently as 2023, H&M again came under fire for garment factory labor conditions with claims of worker abuse in Myanmar. (Reuters)
• In 2024, H&M renewed its Global Framework Agreement (GFA), which includes elements such as neutrality in union organizing and a using independent mediators for dispute resolution. (Supply Chain Digital)

H&M's Annual Sustainability Report

Most years, H&M offers a Sustainability Report to the public; the website lists its last report for 2024.

Should You Shop H&M?

I believe more than ever, it's important to buy clothing that will last. Lasting is not just about durability, but about desire. It doesn't matter how ethical the name is on the label if you don't want to wear the garment. The problem with fast fashion is that it's fast with going from the closet to the landfill; if you use this gauge fast fashion comes at every pricepoint and made from every type of textile.

H&M is such a ginormous retailer, creating so many different SKUs/styles so rapidly, it's impossible to consider the company environmentally friendly. With the incredibly low pricepoint, especially with using so-called sustainable and natural materials, it is impossible for a company to offer fair wages or put in place enough safeguards to protect workers across the globe.

If you find a piece at H&M and it gives you a decade of good wear, that is a better purchase than that ethically sourced natural fiber garment from a Fair Trade company that you donate after a single season. For example, I wear my H&M scarf way more than I do my scarves from Novica, Hermes, or a local artisan.

Shop slowly, shop thoughtfully, do not use shopping as a form of entertainment or therapy, and that is the most ethical thing you can do. And don't be afraid to do a little research before you drop coin. I was able to find all this information just by putting keyword combinations like “is H&M ethical,” “H&M labor conditions,” and “H&M history” into a search engine. The more you research before you shop, the more likely will create a closet of clothing that looks good but also feels good for the long run.