H&M lays off staff in Singapore, moves regional headquarters to Malaysia

[SINGAPORE] Swedish fashion retailer H&M has laid off staff in Singapore as it relocates its South-east Asian headquarters from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur.

This was announced in a formal communication to its staff on May 11, according to media reports in Malaysia.

The Singapore office accounted for the bulk of the job cuts, with close to 80 roles affected out of a regional workforce of 256, Malay Mail reported.

In response to The Straits Times’ queries, H&M Singapore said it is “fully supporting” its employees in “any organisational changes” but did not give specifics. It also declined to disclose how many workers and which roles were affected.

“We are constantly working on improvements to adapt to our customers’ expectations. As part of that, we regularly review how we work to ensure our organisation remains flexible, efficient, and fast-moving,” H&M said.

The company added that Singapore remains an important market and it will continue to have an office here.

“We will continue to maintain our retail presence reflecting our long‑term commitment,” said the company.

H&M made its foray into the Singapore market in 2011, when it opened its Somerset store.

The retailer’s two-storey Ion Orchard outlet closed in March 2023 after a run of more than a decade. Its Tampines Mall outlet shut in August 2020, while its Waterway Point outlet in Punggol closed in January 2021.

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H&M still has six outlets in the Republic.

In a statement on May 15, the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) said H&M Singapore is a non-unionised company, but there are workers who might be members of the SMMWU.

“The National Trades Union Congress and the SMMWU stand ready to offer assistance and resources to help our members and workers transition to new job opportunities and provide financial support if needed,” said SMMWU secretary-general Andy Lim.

He added that all companies, including non-unionised ones, are encouraged to work with the union to provide better support for workers during periods of transition. THE STRAITS TIMES