H&M accelerates expansion in Brazil and opens 4 stores, including debut in the Northeast

H&M logo is displayed on the facade of a store in Stockholm, Sweden. REUTERS/Tom Little Swedish retailer H&M announced this Thursday (13) the opening of four new stores in Brazil, including two in the Northeast, inaugurating its presence in the region, one year after starting operations in the country. The new units in the Northeast will be in shopping malls in Recife and Fortaleza and the openings will take place throughout the second half of the year. "The Northeast is an important market for us. The productivity level of shopping malls is above the national average, so it is an interesting market," said Joaquim Pereira, executive president of H&M Brasil, in an interview with Reuters. "We also know, from the statistical data of our customers from our online channel, that we have a strong consumer base in the region", added Pereira. The other two new stores will be opened in shopping malls in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where the company already has a sales point. At the end of the openings, the company will have a total of 13 stores in Brazil, distributed across three - Southeast, South and Northeast - of the country's five regions. One year of operation in Brazil The European chain opened its first store in Brazil a year ago, at Shopping Iguatemi, in the city of São Paulo. Since then, the retailer has opened five more stores in the state, one in Rio de Janeiro and two in Rio Grande do Sul. H&M currently has a distribution center in Extrema, Minas Gerais, with around 24 thousand square meters. What is it like working at H&M? Since its debut in Brazil, the retailer has implemented a five-day work schedule with two days off for its employees. "This is part of the business model, ensuring the best possible conditions and the best benefits, so that employees remain," said the executive.