H&M debuts Erdem collab, website crashes, most pieces sell out fast

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 2, 2017

The buzz-building campaign for the new Erdem x H&M collection that launched today appears to have worked well, perhaps too well with the firm’s website crashing as it went on sale at 09:00 GMT this morning.

It’s a familiar issue for many who try to buy pieces from the chain’s in-demand annual designer collaborations although earlier reports from Asia suggested that queues at H&M stores were smaller than those for the Kenzo collab a year ago, although this didn't stop the collection being a fast sellout.

Shoppers trying to tap into the Erdem Moralioglu look and buy pieces from the party/occasion and outerwear-focused offer were met by a message saying “we’re here for you” with a button suggesting they “try again”.

The website was back up and running by 10:00 but by then, most of the collection was sold out, particularly the star pieces that had been the focus of the publicity campaign. What was left added up to a few scarves, a bag, a sweater and some earrings. However, more of the menswear pieces were still available for a while, although by late morning most of these had sold out too.

Some shoppers who had the pieces in their wishlists took to social media to complain about the issue, although there were also posts suggesting that the brand’s app was easier to access.

The collection includes a fairly extensive selection of coats, tops, dresses, sweaters, trousers, shoes and other accessories and also includes Erdem’s first menswear offer. Prices range from £14.99 up to around £230.

The collection went on sale earlier in Asia in physical stores than in Europe with reports that shoppers had been queuing since Wednesday at the retailer’s flagships. However, the queues were reported to have been larger last year at the Singapore location, for instance. However, in London, some fans queued throughout the night.

A local H&M spokesperson said that the company doesn’t compare the reaction to one collaboration with any previous ones.

Meanwhile, some eBay sellers were listing items for future purchase on the site at up to three times the purchase price in advance of the launch, telling various newspapers that they would be queueing outside the stores early to ensure they got the pieces they were after.

‘Fashion flippers’ as they’re known have been a regular problem since the early days of H&M’s designer collaborations and are very difficult to weed out of the system, despite the annoyance they create among genuine customers.

One seller had already listed a floral dress that should retail at £149.99 on eBay for £500, while by 09:30 GMT many flippers had clearly succeeded in getting the pieces they targeted with buyers able to purchase them at that point.