Just days before the Swedish fashion giant's hotly anticipated designer collaboration, "Lanvin for H&M" hit stores on November 20, the company announced a slight rise in sales at established stores, up 3 percent in October from 2009’s figure. Total sales, which includes newly opened stores, were up 13 percent, with overall sales for stores open a year or more in line with analysts' forecasts. Acknowledging assistance from the global financial recovery, the world's third-biggest clothing firm saw September same-store sales up 8 percent, while August saw a 14 percent rise. The company does not release absolute sales figures, only the percentage of change in local currencies. When pressed, however, H&M divulged that tuxedos for men and tailcoats for women were the must-have products for the fall season.
