H&M Pulls Justin Bieber Merchandise From Stores After Singer Calls It ‘Trash’

(Bloomberg) -- Hennes & Mauritz AB has halted sales of its Justin Bieber collection, after the singer accused the retailer of selling clothes depicting him without his consent. 

“H&M has followed all proper approval procedures, but out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber, we have removed the garments” from stores, a spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.

The clothes that caused the singers’ rage included sweatshirts, T-shirts and hoodies featuring Bieber’s likeness, lyrics and branding. H&M offered no details on the financial impact of its decision to pull the products, or how much stock it had. The retailer has previously sold Bieber’s concert tour merchandise a few times, going back several years.

The merchandise is “trash,” Bieber posted on Instagram on Monday, adding he “didn’t approve it” and telling his followers to refrain from buying it.

H&M is no stranger to scandals. The retailer had to close some stores in South Africa in 2018 amid protests against an ad that showed a black child modeling a hoodie with the text “coolest monkey in the jungle.” It pulled the garment from stores and apologized.

The retailer has suffered from weak sales lately, seeking to cope with high inflation and shaky consumer demand. Management aims to double sales by 2030.

(Adds background on Bieber collaboration, previous scandal from third paragraph)

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