Since I moved out of central New York, the closest H&M is about a 50 minute drive.  To some of you, H&M is completely worth it.. but what I spend on gas would be the equivalent to one of their tops, so I honestly can’t justify it too often.  For this reason I am so excited that as of, August 1st, 2013, H&M has an online store for United States customers.

Welcome to the 21st century.

It’s certainly taken them long enough.  In 2013, I don’t know of any other chain store that has been as successful in the States without an e-tailer platform.  The dangerous thing about H&M online, similarly to Forever 21 online, is that the quality of most of their items is repulsive.  When a 00 model thats been photo shopped beyond belief and is wearing the item though, that can be easy to forget.  I know this should stop me from ordering, but lets face it: I’m a college girl on a budget and I have a weak spot for oversized sweaters and cheap accessories -even if they only last a month.

Plus- there’s more.

I’m not sure how long H&M Plus has existed, but it is brand new to me.  And it’s also online!  There aren’t as many options in trendy stores for the full figured women, so although twiggy girls may not understand my excitement, I know my fellow curvy ladies do.  Once you reach a certain point, bigger sizes cost more, but with H&M’s already cheap prices, the cost vs. Lane Bryant (for example) is minimal.

H&M has an online store for United States customers, but they still need to improve:

CRITIQUE 1: I don’t like the fact that I can’t filter a category by price.  As a fashion forward store focused on making inexpensive products, a “low to high” feature is absolutely necessary.

CRITIQUE 2: Where’s the search bar?  I’m sure H&M paid some web nerds way too much money to design a site for the States, but even I (the self hosted wordpress blogger) know that the site needs a search bar.  When I’m looking for an item in particular, I’m not going to check every page.. I’m just going to bounce to a competitor’s page.

CRITIQUE 3: Rompers don’t have their own section (like tops, pants, shorts, etc).  I know that many stores don’t have a romper tab, but since I can’t search for the term romper.. I don’t know where to find them. [see previous critique]

CRITIQUE 4: You can’t return online purchases in store.  I don’t understand why stores have silly rules like this.  IT’S YOUR PRODUCT. TAKE IT BACK.

CRITIQUE 5: The length, inseam, and other various measurements are not listed next to products.  When ordering online, a company should try to make your experience as worry free as possible.  Their size chart is great, except we all know that certain products and materials fit differently, therefore measurements are much more dependable.

CRITIQUE 6: There is no place for customers to leave feedback/reviews.  It’s free information from real people giving their opinions.  The feedback can be complimentary (I love this shirt) or a warning (order a size up).  It’s simple and big competitive brand Forever 21 takes advantage of it.  What a silly reason to lose customers!

How do you feel about H&M’s new online store (USA)?

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