FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Julie Lin
(212) 645-6900 x145
julie@jerichopr.com
A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM:
DRESS DOWN FRIDAYS
Casual Friday Suits My Style
at New H&M Grand Opening Celebration

Philadelphia, PA, February 27, 2003 – When was the last time you actually wore a suit to work, especially on a Friday? The casualness of today’s work world on Fridays has become an accepted phenomenon across the country. In celebration of H&M’s sixth Pennsylvania store grand opening, shoppers get the chance to participate in the “Casual Friday Suits My Style” program. This store activity not only benefits a worthy cause but can also help anyone dress in casual style and look great, even if it’s a dress down Friday.

On Friday, March 7 at Noon when the new H&M in Pennsylvania at Exton Square (260 Exton Square) officially opens the first 100 shoppers in line that donate a new or like-new business suit, dress, shirt or tie will receive a free H&M t-shirt as well as 20% off the purchase of any single item in the store on opening day. Additionally, all gently worn clothing donations will be accepted. All clothing received from shoppers at the grand opening celebration will be laundered and donated a Gifts in Kind affiliated charity in need.

“All year round H&M provides people with clothing that fits their personality,” said Karen Belva, public relations manager at H&M. “For this grand opening celebration we wanted to take the opportunity to help shoppers achieve a great look, even if it is for a “dress down Friday,” and also help benefit a worthy cause in the community.”

With a total of 49 U.S. stores opened since 2000 (including H&M at Exton Square), this new 16,000 square foot H&M store offers high quality, affordable fashion and accessories for women and children. H&M Exton Square store hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

H&M is Europe’s leading fashion retailer offering fashion and quality at the best price. Marketing its own brand of clothing with a team of 95 in-house designers, H&M receives daily deliveries of new fashion styles and sells more than 600 million garments a year. H&M opened its first store in Sweden in 1947 and expanded with the first U.S. store on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 2000. Today, H&M has 49 U.S. stores, primarily in the Northeast region, and globally has more than 800 stores in 14 countries. H&M has more than 30,000 employees all working to the same philosophy: to provide fashion and quality at the best price. To visit H&M’s web site please go to http://www.hm.com.

Gifts In Kind International (www.giftsinkind.org), is the world's leading charity in product philanthropy and the 7th largest charity in the United States. Its network of 350-plus affiliates provides nonprofits access to more than $700 million annually in product and service donations. Gifts In Kind International operates at less than 1 percent of the fair market value of products donated, making it one of the most cost-efficient charities in the world.