Secondly as main strategy of H&M is expansion, LTO in competition is to increase number of stores by 10% to 15% every year. Today H&M has as 1840 stores up from 1618 at the same time last year. New stores will be open in the cities H&M already has stores and also in completely new markets.
H&M is following all the latest innovations in the clothing manufacturing. It is important to increase efficiency, cut costs and keep prices low while raising quality. Third LTO in the technological leadership for H&M is to lower maintenance costs by 15% and decrease waste by 10% till the year 2015.
Porter’s four generic strategies are cost leadership, differentiation, low cost to narrow market strategy and niche strategy. H&M has cost leadership strategy. H&M offers fashionable clothing for cheap prices selling to broad markets. This strategy is also very suitable for the current economical situation. H&M with this strategy also set high entry barriers for the competitors.
H&M has achieved ability to be efficient. As there is low profit margin being cost leader, H&M is very focused on expansion and increase of market share. It is important for H&M to sell more volumes of the product to earn profits. Fixed costs are high and by every product made variable costs are lowering. It has secured suppliers because H&M doesn’t own factories itself but have long term production contracts with factories in Bangladesh, Morocco and Turkey. It