H&M Confirms it Has Rights to Justin Bieber Merchandise

The logo of H&M is on display outside a store on the day it closes, as the fashion retailer exits the Russian market, in Moscow, Russia November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
The logo of H&M is on display outside a store on the day it closes, as the fashion retailer exits the Russian market, in Moscow, Russia November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
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H&M Confirms it Has Rights to Justin Bieber Merchandise

The logo of H&M is on display outside a store on the day it closes, as the fashion retailer exits the Russian market, in Moscow, Russia November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
The logo of H&M is on display outside a store on the day it closes, as the fashion retailer exits the Russian market, in Moscow, Russia November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Swedish clothes retailer H&M said on Thursday it had the rights to sell Justin Bieber merchandise it pulled from stores this week after the popstar said he had not given his approval.

"Justin's license holder has confirmed that H&M had the right contracts in place and followed all proper approval procedures for each selected design," H&M wrote in a statement.

On Monday, Bieber urged his 270 million Instagram followers not to buy the merchandise, calling it "trash" and said it was on sale without his approval. H&M pulled the items from sale.

"Out of respect for Justin, we removed the products from our site and stores, and we're working to find the best way to make use of them," H&M said, adding that the company had been Bieber's merchandise partner since 2016.

H&M, the world's second biggest fashion retailer, offered hoodies, t-shirts and sweatshirts with pictures of Bieber or quotes from his lyrics such as "I miss you more than life" from the song "Ghost".



Zara Owner Inditex Reports Weaker Than Expected First-quarter Sales

A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)
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Zara Owner Inditex Reports Weaker Than Expected First-quarter Sales

A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, the flagship brand of the Inditex clothing company, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 12, 2024. (Reuters)

Zara owner Inditex missed expectations for its first-quarter sales on Wednesday, adding to doubts about the ability of the fast-fashion retailer to keep delivering strong sales growth in an uncertain economic environment.

Inditex also reported a slower start to its summer sales, with revenue growth of 6% from May 1 to June 9, compared to a 12% growth in the same period a year ago, Reuters said.

The company reported revenues of 8.27 billion euros ($9.44 billion) for its first quarter ending April 30, missing analysts' average estimate of 8.36 billion euros, according to an LSEG poll.

Fears of resurgent inflation and an economic slowdown triggered by tariffs have already dampened consumers' enthusiasm for shopping in the United States and elsewhere.

Cooler weather in Spain, which accounts for 15% of Inditex's global sales, has also probably hurt the retailer's performance, according to Bernstein analysts.