Swedish retailer H&M has suspended several managers after an internal investigation found that the employees at & Other Stories, one of the H&M Group’s brands, had used a racist slur while referring to one of the brand’s products.
According to a report by CNN, a new hat for the retailer’s chain was given an internal product name that contained a racist slur.
“We take the use of racially offensive language extremely seriously,” company spokesperson Ulrika Isaksson said in a statement.
“While internal and external investigations are taking place, we have suspended the team and managers responsible for this area of the business.”
H&M Group CEO also issued an official statement saying: We are deeply sorry to have discovered that one of our brands, & Other Stories, used a racist slur in an internal product overview. This is totally unacceptable and should never have happened.
“It is a serious breach of our policies and goes against everything we stand for. We take the use of racially offensive language extremely seriously. While internal and external investigations are taking place, we have suspended the team and managers responsible for this area of the business.“
In recent months, brands have been called out for their lack of diversity in light of the Black Lives Matter protests.
Just last month, local online fashion retailer Superbalist issued an apology after an internal memo had been leaked to the public.
It is understood that employees at the company asked bosses to support BLM Superbalist's response was that it is against company policy to speak on matters that doesn't affect their business.
This isn’t the first time that H&M has found itself at the centre of controversy. About two years ago, the brand came under fire for advertising a kiddies hoodie, using a Black child as the model, with a caption that read: “coolest monkey in the jungle”.
In the meantime, companies around the globe are reworking their diversity policies to be more inclusive.