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← Embedded Finance Index 2026

H&M

“Can H&M deepen customer loyalty and basket size by embedding Klarna's flexible payments and BNPL across all channels globally as the core of its H&M Club programme?”

Founded1947
HQStockholm, Sweden
FoundersErling Persson
IndustryE-commerce / Retail
The story

Founded in 1947 as a Swedish women's clothing store, H&M grew into the world's second-largest international clothing retailer by aggressively scaling its fast-fashion model globally. The company's embedded finance evolution centres on its 2018 global Klarna partnership, which powers the H&M Club payment programme — offering BNPL 'Pay Later' across all channels (in-store via QR code in the H&M app, online, and mobile). Rather than building proprietary fintech infrastructure, H&M has embedded Klarna as its primary consumer financing layer, continually expanding that partnership into new markets such as Romania and Hungary as recently as March 2026.

Last 12 months
2026-03
Product timeline
1947
Erling Persson founded Hennes in Västerås, Sweden, selling women's clothing.· pivot
1968
Acquired Mauritz Widforss hunting store in Stockholm; rebranded to H&M (Hennes & Mauritz).· acquisition
1982
Stefan Persson succeeded his father as managing director.· pivot
2018
H&M and Klarna announced a global partnership powering the H&M Club payment programme with BNPL and omnichannel checkout.· banking
2020
Signed a EUR 980m revolving credit facility with SEB, BNP Paribas, Danske Bank, Standard Chartered, and Commerzbank to strengthen liquidity during COVID-19.· banking
2024
Daniel Ervér became CEO; H&M operates 4,338 stores across 75 markets with over 171,000 employees.· pivot
2026
Klarna expanded its partnership with H&M into Romania and Hungary, adding flexible payment options in those markets.· banking
The stack
1 layer disclosed in H&M’s embedded-finance stack
Lending
KlarnaH&M x Klarna Pay Later (30-day)H&M x Klarna Slice It (installments)H&M Club payment programme
Accounting gap: none

H&M — frequently asked

Who provides H&M's lending?

H&M's lending and capital products are provided by Klarna.

Who founded H&M?

H&M was founded by Erling Persson and is founded in 1947, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

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