Latest news with #H&M
The Sun
25 minutes ago
- Business
- The Sun
Thousands of of ASOS customers banned and accounts deleted as retailer cracks down on ‘insane' policy
THOUSANDS of ASOS customers have had their accounts banned and deleted as the retailer cracks the whip on its return policy. Shoppers were sent emails detailing how their accounts had been closed with "immediate effect" after the online retailer said they breached the terms of its Fair Use Policy. 1 The move sparked fury among punters, with many describing the move as "unfair" and "insane". Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one shopper said: "Account closed for consistent breaches of their [ASOS] Fair Use policy when I haven't returned anything since October." While another confused user said: " I haven't shopped with ASOS in over a year and I still get an email telling me my account is being closed." Another upset customer said: "ASOS have really hurt me today closing my account what did I do?." And a fourth added: "I've made three orders in the last six months and from those orders sent back only one pair of jeans. "This is a joke, I've been a loyal customer for years and now you close my account . An ASOS spokesperson: "We recently closed the accounts of a small group of customers whose shopping activity has consistently fallen outside our Fair Use policy. "This helps us maintain our commitment to offering free returns to all customers across all core markets." It is understood that even if customers have not used their account in recent months, it could still be closed if they breached policy rules. Last year, the online department store said it would charge customers for returning items unless they spent a certain amount. The new rule means shoppers only get free returns if they keep £40 or more of their order. My Asos dress looks so high end it's giving Balmain on a budget – it's perfect for a birthday, I'm begging you to buy it Otherwise, £3.95 will be deducted from their refund. Premier ASOS customers, who pay £9.95 a year for free delivery, are also not exempt from the change. But they only need to keep £15 of their order to dodge the charge. The digital department store previously said its profits were bruised by customers making large orders and not keeping all of the items. However, the move has been labelled as unfair by many punters, especially as they cannot try before they buy when shopping online. CRACK DOWN ON RETURNS And ASOS is not the only online store to crack down on customers who make frequent returns. H&M, Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing, and Zara are among stores which now charge customers. Next also introduced the change at the start of 2023 and customers now have to fork out £2.50 per item returned. In December 2023, Debenhams left shoppers feeling "cheated" after introducing a charge for returning online goods. Can your account be closed for making too many returns? By Laura McGuire, Consumer Reporter WHEN shopping online it is important to be clued up on what your rights are - especially when it comes to making a return. H&M, Boohoo and Zara are among the countless fashion retailers which make customers pay for sending products back. And brands such as ASOS and Pretty Little Thing now ban customers who return items frequently. Retailers can impose these stricter rules as part of their own returns policies. Some stores may assess shoppers return behaviour on a case-by-case basis, while others may have a strict blanket policy. Amazon customers in the US have claimed the retail giant has closed accounts without warning more making too many returns.
The Independent
an hour ago
- Business
- The Independent
H&M sales expected to edge higher as turnaround continues
H&M investors will be hoping the high street fashion chain shows it is on the road to recovery next week despite caution among many shoppers. The retailer is expected to report a slight rise in sales for the latest quarter in an update on Thursday June 26 as it continues with its turnaround strategy. It comes after the Swedish firm reported weaker-than-expected sales for the first quarter of its financial year in its previous update in March. H&M saw net sales grow 2% to 55.3 billion Swedish krona (£4.24 billion) for the three months to February 28. However, it flagged that this slowed down to 1% in March amid continued pressure on consumer finances. Sales growth was also knocked by H&M's plans to trim its store estate and help simplify its operations over the past year. H&M said it had 40 net store closures over the quarter and has continued to shut sites in recent months. The overhaul of its store estate is part of a major turnaround plan under Daniel Erver, who became chief executive last year. The group, which also owns & Other Stories and Cos, is seeking to accelerate recent sluggish growth. Deutsche Bank's Adam Cochrane stressed however that trading in the latest quarter is 'unlikely to be the turning point'. He added: 'H&M is progressing through its turnaround but there will be relatively limited evidence of this in Q2, given the unhelpful weather conditions around Europe and the impact of negative currency exchange translation. 'Our updated earnings forecast of 5.6 billion Swedish krona is showing a 21% decline year-on-year, better than 42% in Q1 but still hard to provide evidence of a sustainable turnaround.' Mr Cochrane added that a build up in stock inventory at the end of the first quarter is unlikely to have completely unwound in recent months and could pose 'a further problem' going into the second half of the year. Deutsche Bank predicted H&M would see sales growth slow to 1.5% for the latest quarter but indicated this would be a roughly 5% drop once currency rates are taken into account. Jefferies equity analyst James Grzinic is more pessimistic, pointing to growth of 0.5% for the quarter. He said the brokerage is taking a 'more cautious view' to H&M's recent trading, after signs that the rival Chinese platforms are 'losing momentum' in the US.
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
William and Cate Blanchett hit sustainable fashion lab
The Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett have donned lab coats as they witnessed the high-tech work of an environmentally friendly clothes dye company. William and the Australian Oscar winner visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes. Colorifix, which was a finalist in William's Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes. Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia. As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a "layman's version" of the science. After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics. That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe that is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics. Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water. The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. "What if it explodes?" Blanchett joked before looking at the sample. "I'm not going to pretend I know what that drawing means," William told the experts when being shown diagrams. The pair were then taken through the fermentation process, which is where the dye is produced in a small version that can be scaled up. David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes was "just like brewing". "We use a genetically engineered bacteria to produce the substance - in this case colourants. "Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous." The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners. "It's going really well, and it's really exciting," he said, while Blanchett told them their work was "really inspiring". The Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett have donned lab coats as they witnessed the high-tech work of an environmentally friendly clothes dye company. William and the Australian Oscar winner visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes. Colorifix, which was a finalist in William's Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes. Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia. As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a "layman's version" of the science. After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics. That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe that is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics. Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water. The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. "What if it explodes?" Blanchett joked before looking at the sample. "I'm not going to pretend I know what that drawing means," William told the experts when being shown diagrams. The pair were then taken through the fermentation process, which is where the dye is produced in a small version that can be scaled up. David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes was "just like brewing". "We use a genetically engineered bacteria to produce the substance - in this case colourants. "Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous." The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners. "It's going really well, and it's really exciting," he said, while Blanchett told them their work was "really inspiring". The Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett have donned lab coats as they witnessed the high-tech work of an environmentally friendly clothes dye company. William and the Australian Oscar winner visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes. Colorifix, which was a finalist in William's Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes. Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia. As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a "layman's version" of the science. After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics. That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe that is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics. Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water. The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. "What if it explodes?" Blanchett joked before looking at the sample. "I'm not going to pretend I know what that drawing means," William told the experts when being shown diagrams. The pair were then taken through the fermentation process, which is where the dye is produced in a small version that can be scaled up. David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes was "just like brewing". "We use a genetically engineered bacteria to produce the substance - in this case colourants. "Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous." The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners. "It's going really well, and it's really exciting," he said, while Blanchett told them their work was "really inspiring". The Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett have donned lab coats as they witnessed the high-tech work of an environmentally friendly clothes dye company. William and the Australian Oscar winner visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes. Colorifix, which was a finalist in William's Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes. Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia. As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a "layman's version" of the science. After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics. That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe that is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics. Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water. The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. "What if it explodes?" Blanchett joked before looking at the sample. "I'm not going to pretend I know what that drawing means," William told the experts when being shown diagrams. The pair were then taken through the fermentation process, which is where the dye is produced in a small version that can be scaled up. David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes was "just like brewing". "We use a genetically engineered bacteria to produce the substance - in this case colourants. "Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous." The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners. "It's going really well, and it's really exciting," he said, while Blanchett told them their work was "really inspiring".
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
William and Cate Blanchett hit sustainable fashion lab
The Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett have donned lab coats as they witnessed the high-tech work of an environmentally friendly clothes dye company. William and the Australian Oscar winner visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes. Colorifix, which was a finalist in William's Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes. Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia. As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a "layman's version" of the science. After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics. That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe that is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics. Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water. The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. "What if it explodes?" Blanchett joked before looking at the sample. "I'm not going to pretend I know what that drawing means," William told the experts when being shown diagrams. The pair were then taken through the fermentation process, which is where the dye is produced in a small version that can be scaled up. David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes was "just like brewing". "We use a genetically engineered bacteria to produce the substance - in this case colourants. "Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous." The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners. "It's going really well, and it's really exciting," he said, while Blanchett told them their work was "really inspiring".
South Wales Guardian
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Prince of Wales and Cate Blanchett don lab coats to see eco brand at work
William and the actress visited labs in Norwich on Thursday where Colorifix, a biotechnology firm, creates its textile dyes. Colorifix, which was a finalist in William's Earthshot Prize in 2023, has developed a biological process that replaces the use of harmful chemicals in textile dyes. Since it was founded in 2016, the brand has partnered with fashion brands including H&M and Pangaia. As William and Blanchett were taken through each step of the process to make the eco-friendly dyes, the Prince of Wales asked Sophie Vaud, the head of microbial engineering, to provide a 'layman's version' of the science. After identifying a colour created naturally by an animal or plant, Colorifix's scientists sequence the DNA of that organism to find out where the colour is coded in its genetics. That DNA code is then translated into a safe microbe which is then fermented to grow, creating a dye that can be used on natural and synthetic fabrics. Dyes made chemically have a negative impact on the environment as they seep into rivers, harming wildlife. The process also uses a large amount of water. The Prince of Wales and Blanchett, a council member of the Earthshot Prize, were invited to observe DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. 'What if it explodes?' Blanchett, joked before looking at the sample. 'I'm not going to pretend I know what that drawing means,' William told the experts when being shown diagrams. The pair were then taken through the fermentation process which is where the dye is produced in a small version which can be scaled up. David Clarke, head of fermentation at Colorifix, which is based in Norwich Research Park on the edge of the city, said their fermentation to produce the dyes is 'just like brewing'. 'We use a genetically-engineered bacteria to produce the substance – in this case colourants. In the brewing industry it's ethanol. 'Traditional dyeing is very, very polluting. This is completely innocuous.' William and Blanchett were wowed by the range of colours produced when shown samples in the colouration lab, especially a bright teal. In that lab, the dyes are sampled on a range of fabrics and then washed and tumble dried to test how they work and if there is any run off. Rebecca Hiscock, a colouration technician, showed them some of the samples. 'It's like Blue Peter – here's one I made earlier,' William said. Meeting the rest of the Colorifix team, the Prince of Wales said: 'Sorry for all the stupid questions you'll hear about later.' He complimented the staff for their 'fantastic' work since Colorifix got to the final of the Earthshot Prize two years ago. The Prince of Wales is founder and president of the global environmental award and Blanchett helps pick the winners. 'It's going really well, and it's really exciting,' he said, while Blanchett told them their work was 'really inspiring'.
