Dive Brief:
- Fast-fashion retailer H&M announced that will release a new line of beauty products—in addition to its long-awaited collection from French couturier Balmain—in time for the holidays.
- H&M’s beauty line will feature more than 1,000 different SKUs starting at just $2.99, including more than 160 colors of nail polish.
- The exclusive Balmain for H&M collection will have a limited release on Nov. 5 with at least 50 designs for men and women starting at $29.90.
Dive Insight:
Swedish fast-fashion chain H&M has announced two new lines guaranteed to shake up retail ahead of the holidays—a cosmetics line priced competitively enough to compete with drug store brands, and its highly-anticipated collaboration from French fashion house Balmain.
H&M announced plans for a Balmain collaboration in May and has teased the collection by dressing stars such as Kendall Jenner, giving fans of the rock-and-roll couturier six months to prepare for the limited-edition release.
The chain has launched several limited-edition designer collaborations since 2004; its most recent collection, produced with Alexander Wang, crashed the H&M website and sold out in seconds.
More surprising—and perhaps more alarming to cosmetics retailers from Walgreens to Sephora—is the announcement that H&M will release its own line of beauty products, including 160 shades of nail polish starting at $2.99. If the Swedish chain can slash prices on cutting-edge cosmetics the way it has on cutting-edge styles, the category could be in for a price war.
