H&M to trial clothing rental in Stockholm flagship

H&M is the latest fashion brand to test out the concept of clothing rental.

The Swedish label has announced plans to offer clothing rentals at its Sergels Torg flagship store in Stockholm, giving shoppers who belong to its customer loyalty program the chance to hire a selection of party dresses and skirts from its sustainably-focused 2012-2019 Conscious Exclusive collections. The selection includes a handful of pieces from its most recent Fall 2019 series.

Members will be able to rent up to three pieces at a time, for the duration of one week, for an approximate price of 350 Swedish kronor (€32) per item. The clothes can be tried on at the in-store rental space, which shoppers can book in advance, and a stylist will be on hand to help with the selection process.

"We have looked at clothing rental for quite some time and are so happy to for the first time soon offer fashion fans the possibility to rent some stunning pieces from our Conscious Exclusive collections," said Pascal Brun, Head of Sustainability at H&M. "We look forward to evaluating this as we are dedicated to change the way fashion is made and consumed today."

The move is part of a wider makeover for the Sergels Torg store, which will re-open its doors in November following a refurbishment that will see it updated with a beauty bar, the café-concept It's Pleat, and an atelier where customers can have clothes mended or upgraded.

Clothing rental services are becoming increasingly mainstream amongst major fashion brands keen to tap into a growing consumer market for eco-conscious, circular fashion. In addition to established high-end subscription services such as Rent the Runway, recent converts include Banana Republic, which unveiled an online subscription service called Style Passport in September, and Urban Outfitters, which launched a subscription service called Nuuly in May.