Editor’s Note
H&M’s expansion into India’s beauty market marks a significant strategic shift for the fast-fashion giant, positioning it against entrenched local and global players. This move highlights the growing allure of India’s consumer sector and the blurring lines between fashion and beauty retail.
A decade after its entry into India, Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M is expanding beyond clothing and home products, making its debut in the country’s booming beauty sector. The move puts H&M in direct competition with established players such as Hindustan Unilever’s Lakme, L’Oreal, Reliance’s Tira, Nykaa, and several emerging homegrown D2C beauty brands.
H&M has long been popular among Gen Z and millennial shoppers for its affordable, trend-driven fashion. The company now plans to leverage this brand equity as it launches a private-label beauty range designed to complement its fashion offerings.
Cathrine Wigzell, global general manager at H&M Beauty, told TOI.
H&M will sell its beauty products exclusively through its fashion stores and online platform. Makeup products will be priced under ₹799, while perfumes start at ₹1,299, signalling a focus on India’s mass-affluent segment. This group is a key driver in the country’s beauty and personal care (BPC) market, which is projected to reach $34 billion by 2028.
Wigzell added. At these price points, H&M will compete directly with makeup brands like Lakme and L’Oreal, as well as private-label offerings from omni-channel platforms such as Nykaa and Tira.
A significant portion of H&M Beauty’s launch portfolio, including makeup, perfumes, and beauty tools—has been locally manufactured, although some products will be sourced globally to maintain quality and introduce innovative offerings.
With this expansion, H&M aims to replicate its fashion success in the beauty category, offering Indian consumers a “head-to-toe” style experience under a single, trusted brand.