erhouses. It’s a strategic play that aims to redefine the shopping experience, bridging the gap between in-store and online retail.  We spoke with Oldouz Mirzaie, managing director of H&M South Asia and Pacific, to get her thoughts on this new partnership and its implications for the brand’s operations in Malaysia and Singapore. The story so far “We know that our customers appreciate online shopping, and increasingly look for the convenience of being able to shop and be inspired where, when and how they choose,” she told Inside Retail. She went on to say that this is why the brand is currently on a transformation journey to optimise its omnichannel experience.  “It is very much about democratising sustainable fashion by allowing customers to seamlessly transition between our offline and online channels and enabling them to shop with us on their own terms,” she added. Mirzaie said that with Shopee’s strong foothold in Singapore and Malaysia, this partnership is a great opportunity for the brand to expand its extensive physical store and digital network further and create greater accessibility for its customer offerings. The sustainability factor Importantly, with the growing emphasis on the fashion industry’s environmental impact, the partnership also aligns with H&M’s commitment to sustainable fashion. “As a market leader, we recognise our responsibility and ability to create a difference and build a more sustainable future for fashion. Aside from other efforts to invest in renewable materials, recycling and reuse, democratising sustainable fashion is also a key focus for us,” she noted. Shopee, which is the most popular online marketplace in Southeast Asia, will naturally enable H&M to extend its affordable fashion offering to more customers.  Its recent Super Brand Day in Singapore and Malaysia had very strong support and feedback from customers in both markets. “Our customers were able to get our latest offerings for up to 70 per cent off, enjoy bundle deals and also stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to South Korea. During our exclusive Shopee Live activations, we also gave away exclusive vouchers and offered flash deals,” she said. Mirzaie reiterated that there is no difference between the products it offers on Shopee and those it offers in its physical stores or on its own websites. Tapping into live streaming A key part of Shopee’s customer experience is live streaming, so it will be interesting to see how H&M incorporates this feature into its broader digital strategy going forward. Mirzaie said that customers are at the heart of what she does at H&M, and the team is always looking for new and impactful ways to connect and engage with them. “Live streams, with their interactive formats, play a significant role in enhancing the online shopping experience and allowing us to connect with and gather feedback from our customers in real time, while building stronger emotional bonds with them,” she explained. Outside of Southeast Asia, Shopee also has a strong presence in the South Asian market, but,  for now, Mirzaie is coy about any plans to expand the partnership into other markets. “Providing our customers with elevated shopping experiences and transforming our omnichannel operations is an ongoing journey for us. We are constantly re-evaluating our approach based on our customers’ feedback and evolving needs and will continue to invest in new and impactful ways to serve them better,” she elaborated. Engaging and retaining customers Increasing customer engagement and retention is one of the key objectives of H&M’s partnership with Shopee, and Mirzaie is looking forward to using the many engagement tools on Shopee to offer customers fresh inspiration and experiences. “We want to build a stronger relationship with our customers through more interactive livestreams and locally relevant events where they can interact with our brand on a deeper level,” she added. To achieve this, the team is constantly gathering feedback from customers regarding their shopping experiences, so that the brand can cater to their wants and needs and ultimately create a meaningful shopping journey for them. “We see great potential for our brand to grow on Shopee, and for H&M to become even more locally relevant through this partnership. We hope to meet more local fashion lovers through this platform and continue to make moves towards our vision of becoming the leading destination for style through creativity and culture,” she concluded.