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& Other Stories: H&M targets upmarket shoppers

Hennes & Mauritz, Europe’s second largest clothing retailer, will start selling its newest brand in stores and online simultaneously for the first time in the company’s history.

The "& Other Stories" brand of women’s shoes, bags and accessories will go on sale in the spring, the Stockholm-based retailer said on Wednesday. It will be available at seven new stores dedicated to the label in European cities such as London, Paris and Milan, as well as online in 10 European countries, H&M said.

"The key difference is that ‘& Other Stories’ is online from the outset, which in theory brings it to a wider audience," Societe Generale analyst Anne Critchlow said. In terms of stores, it is a similar approach to the introduction of the retailer’s COS brand, she said.