The popular Swedish retail giant H&M is finally landing in Malta as Hudson Group announced on Thursday it has signed an agreement for the first store to open next year.

In a social media post, Hudson hailed this “a major milestone for fashion retail in Malta”.

“For years, locals had to wait until travelling abroad to shop H&M. Soon, Maltese shoppers will enjoy full access to H&M’s womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and home collections,” Hudson said.

The group’s Malta agreement follows another agreement to represent H&M in Morocco where two shops opened this year in Arribat Centre in Rabat and Carre Eden in Marrakech.

“H&M will introduce Maltese shoppers to its unique blend of style, value, and commitment to a greener future,” Hudson said, adding the highly anticipated opening “marks a new era” for fashion retail in Malta.

According to Hudson Holdings Group chairman Alfie Borg, the agreement “culminates years of discussions to bring one of the most requested brands to the Maltese consumer”.

“The fact that H&M selected Hudson, one of only a handful partners that H&M works with, is testament to Hudson’s brand equity and reputation as a retail operator. The partnership, for both Malta and Morocco, positions us to expand H&M’s presence in the territories we operate in” Borg said.

H&M head of franchise Sam Miller said the company was “thrilled” to bring the brand to Malta.

H&M, or as the brand is formally known Hennes & Mauritz AB (publ), was founded in Sweden in 1947. It is the second-largest global fashion retailer after Inditex which is best known for its Zara brand.

H&M has approximately 4,118 stores worldwide, the lowest since 2016 due to ongoing store closures, especially in mature markets. The company plans to close another 200 shops this year while investing in expansion in markets like Brazil and India.

It ranks as number 1 out of 200 fashion companies in the latest What Fuels Fashion? report by Fashion Revolution, which evaluates companies transparency on decarbonisation and other sustainability areas.

News of the fashion outlet’s opening spread like wildfire on Thursday afternoon with many taking to social media claiming their “prayers had been answered”.

“Can’t wait for H&M to arrive in Malta. Excellent choice,” one person exclaimed.

Not everyone was overjoyed by the news, though. One pointed out that opening another fast fashion outlet in Malta is not conducive to sustainability.

“So much for a ‘more sustainable Malta’ what a joke of a country. But what matters is that we plant trees, no?” Kelly Pisani wrote on social media.

H&M’s sustainability policy claims “caring for both people and the planet is important” and aims to increase the use of recycled and sustainably sourced materials to 100 per cent by 2030. It was already at 85 per cent in 2023.