Mathilda Hellström and Xinyi Li, Merchandise Managers within H&M’s Sales Department gave the students an introduction to the work of merchandisers at H&M and shared the company’s method for analyzing their sales performance.

Through a practical case, they provided the students with the sales of two H&M stores, later on, the students were asked to identify what the biggest sales drivers and non-drivers were within each product category. Afterward, the students were asked to go to both stores to compare their findings with the products in stores. Finally, the students presented their results and gave actionable recommendations regarding what actions would they take to increase sales.

The main focus of the workshop was to provide students with hands-on experience in weekly sales analysis. The suggestions from students focused on emphasizing seasonal products, provide more exposure to slow-selling items and utilizing mannequins to feature accessories to provide further inspiration for customers.