H&M acquires company behind Weekday, Monki and Cheap Monday

H&M has signed an agreement to acquire the privately owned Swedish fashion company Fabric Scandinavien AB that is running the store chains Weekday and Monki. The Group also designs and sells fashion through a number of own brands, such as Cheap Monday. The turnover for the ?nancial year 2007–8 is expected to reach approximately SKr 400 million. The company will be run as a stand-alone subsidiary within the H&M Group. 
   ‘We have been impressed by Fabric Scandinavien’s development for a long time and we see a potential to develop stores and concepts in other markets. By working together we can accelerate the growth further. We can also do it in a more ef?cient manner by drawing on H&M’s experience and knowledge of, for example, production, logistics and establishment,’ says H&M CEO Rolf Eriksen.
   ‘H&M is a fantastic company and we have found that we share the same values. Together with H&M we will have better opportunities to truly develop our ideas within fashion and design. H&M’s knowledge of for instance production and international expansion will be extremely valuable to us,’ says Fabric Scandinavien CEO Lars Karlsson. 
    The subsidiary Weekday Brands designs, produces and runs wholesale selling of young fashion. Its largest own brand is Cheap Monday, primarily a denim line. The idea behind Cheap Monday is fashion at good prices, something that goes well with H&M’s business idea; fashion and quality at the best price. Cheap Monday is sold in more than 1,000 stores globally. Among the brands are also MTWTFSS Weekday and Sunday Sun. 
   The store chain Weekday is an urban unisex concept with a total of six stores in Stockholm, Uppsala, Göteborg and Malmö. In March the ?rst store will open outside Sweden in København, Denmark.
   Monki is a store concept and an own brand for young females. Since the start in Göteborg in 2006 Monki has expanded to Stockholm, Uppsala, Malmö, Karlstad, Sundsvall and Norrköping, amounting to a total of 12 stores.  
   H&M acquires 60 per cent of the shares in Fabric Scandinavien for SKr 564 million in cash. Sellers are the founders Adam Friberg, Lars Karlsson, Örjan Andersson and Linda Friberg. They will all continue to work within the company. In connection with the transaction the parties entered into agreement according to which H&M has the possibility or obligation to acquire the remaining shares in the company within three to ?ve years. The total turnover of the Group’s business was approximately SKr 250 million during the ?nancial year 2006–7, with an operating result of SKr 67 million. The expected turnover for the ?nancial year 2007–8 is approximately SKr 400 million with continued good pro?tability. The employment conditions for the 300 employees will not change as a result of the transaction. 
   The transaction is conditioned by acceptance of relevant competition authorities. SEB Enskilda has acted as ?nancial adviser to H&M in connection with the acquisition.