H&M subsidiary Monki is simplifying its range by removing the largest sizes, but as a result the brand is also cutting its inclusive image.
Thinning out
Monki has revised its size range “due to low demand“, while larger sizes the brand has quietly removed. “We are always testing, learning, adapting and refining our range”, its Head of Communication Nadine Schmidt responded to Belgian newspaper De Standaard.
The range is being thinned out to save costs: its owner, the Swedish H&M Group, has long been planning to merge the brand with Weekday, another of its subsidiaries, as both brands appeal to young people but apparently can no longer make it on their own.
Expensive stocks
H&M has also been struggling with its stock size for years. It is one of the reasons for the disappointing results at the end of last year, which even forced CEO Helena Helmersson to leave. Her successor, Daniel Ervér, is now explicitly aiming to improve profitability. The European Union’s Green Deal also means that unsold clothes in Europe will soon no longer be allowed to be destroyed, which will make remaining stocks even more expensive.
The logic is what it is, but the decision is difficult to swallow for consumers. After all, Monki has been presenting itself as body positive and inclusive. For instance, the brand has its own Monkifesto, whose slogans include “multi is the new regular” and “cut the norm”. The decision to cut the largest models, is therefore not universally applauded.
