People are responding to the news that H&M is launching online shopping in the U.S. with a degree of enthusiasm formerly reserved for the birth of royal babies or the acquisition of kittens.
The front page of Huffington Post’s Style section, for example, leads with the headline: “BEST. DAY. EVER.”
The reactions on social media matched HuffPo’s in intensity. Some were “actually in tears,” others were praying and expressing their gratitude to a higher power. I’m not joking:
oh. my. gosh. you can shop h&m online now. this is the best and worst day.
— becca farris (@bdan421) August 1, 2013
I’ve been waiting my whole life for this #h&m pic.twitter.com/2z6aIdYP5a
— Ava Shears (@a_smoooth) August 1, 2013
YOU CAN NOW SHOP ONLINE AT H&M.. There really is a god!!!!
— BenBennyBenji (@bennytrottz) August 1, 2013
H&M having an online store is possibly the best thing that has happened
— Shradha Mamidi (@ShradsMamidi) August 1, 2013
I’ve been waiting forever for this day. The day that you can order from H&M online. Thank you God for answered prayers.
— Traci Hoffman (@zakksmom) August 1, 2013
GUYS OHMYGOD YOU CAN SHOP H&M ONLINE NOW I REPEAT YOU CAN BUY CLOTHES FROM H&M ON THE INTERNET INTERNET SHOPPING FINALLY WOW
— ☀ (@THEBRIIGHTONE) August 1, 2013
browsing h&m’s online shopping and i’m overwhelmed. too much to look at it, too exciting, too much caffeine, etc
— jane (@inthecalzone) August 1, 2013
H&M online is about to change my entire life. Look at GOD
— Khaleesi. (@tamnificent) August 1, 2013
You can finally shop online at H&M! #goGOD
— God’s Girl (@krysfrank) August 1, 2013
H&M now accepts online orders. My life is complete.
— Amirah Keaton (@amirahsurlemur) August 1, 2013
OOOH MY GAWDDDD H&M has really made my morning w/their new online option. Finally!
— Macaroni Phony (@LegallyRatchet1) August 1, 2013
H&M finally has an online store in the U.S. and I couldn’t be happier. #goodbyepaycheck
— Krys†elle (@hellokrystelle) August 1, 2013
Online shopping is now available on H&M i just died of happiness and came back to life!
— Naiemah. (@_neemss) August 1, 2013
H&M’s online store finally opens TODAY. Tears just sprung to my eyes. Not kidding. So excited. Cannot contain myself. http://t.co/yCqJpH6DdU
— Amanda Coyne (@AmandaCCoyne) August 1, 2013
Is this a dream? RT @Feel_MyPretty: Finally online shopping for H&M
— Susie Carmichael (@King_Desir) August 1, 2013
WHY IS H&M NOT TRENDING? CAN SOMETHING TREND IF IT HAS AN AMPERSAND IN IT?
— audrey collins (@iconoclasticc) August 1, 2013
PSA: H&M has online shopping. My prayers for the past five years have finally been answered.
— Stephanie (@stephaniereesa) August 1, 2013
My life is FOREVER changed. #H&M | Clear Your Morning…H&M E-Commerce Is Now LIVE!!! http://t.co/YQf5SYFYGQ via @refinery29
— Emily Finley (@emilyafinley) August 1, 2013
God is so good… H&M online store for the US is now open… Praise God… Do a two step. Jump for joy!
— Ready4Battle (@SeeOmara) August 1, 2013
I just peed a little… H&M has launched their online website. And my my bank account is shaking in a corner. #shopaholic #H&M #dead
— Baby Ruth (@Amarak_urworld) August 1, 2013
Waking up to H&M finally open for online shopping feels a little too much like Christmas morning.
— Alyanna Padilla (@alyannapadilla) August 1, 2013
You can now shop at H&M online. My life has been made.
— Hannah Thomson (@hrthomson14) August 1, 2013
The Lord has finally answered my prayers …H&M has online shopping, finally!
— Ayana Cheyenne ♥ (@IWanna_Colvin) August 1, 2013
H&M now has online shopping and I’m freaking out
— Stephanie Rojo (@rojomeansred) August 1, 2013
LET ME CRY BECAUSE ONLINE SHOPPING AT H&M IS AVAILABLE FOR AMERICA THE TEARS OMG
— J. (@_limados) August 1, 2013
may or may not have cried tears of joy at breakfast this morning when sharing h&m’s news with Tara #sososohappy #sososobroke
— beccabeswick (@beccabeswick) August 1, 2013
I can buy h&m online this is one of the greatest days of my life I’m actually in tears
— ♡THANK YOU 5SOS♡ (@canarrys) August 1, 2013
.@hmusa thank u for opening the online shop. this means more to me than u’ll ever know. these tears of joy are for u, H&M
— SAVANNAH DRANK (@Trill_Daughter) August 1, 2013
No way?!? MT“@LeslieMayesTV: A miracle from the shopping gods! You can now shop H&M online! http://t.co/A9lbZOZWTc #hm #shopping #joy”
— Kate Gaier (@reporter_kate) August 1, 2013
Suchh joy I woke up to. H&M has online shopping!!! I’m telling you, there’s something extra special about this month lol #hype #birthmonth
— Sehrish Ameen (@chaway24) August 1, 2013
Literally the best news ever! You can now order online with H&M pic.twitter.com/5ysFmYPxWm
— Sandra Monica (@sandrrusia) August 1, 2013
so you can shop online at H&M now. wow, best thing I’ve heard in a while!
— De (@hailqueende) August 1, 2013
H&M has finally decided to give the option to order stuff online from them I’m literally thanking jesus
— amanda (@mandatommo) August 1, 2013
h&m just opened started selling online in the US but i’m too overwhelmed with emotion to actually pick things out
— medusa ☼‿☼ (@kavalsi) August 1, 2013
You can now order things online from H&M, this changes everything.
— Alexa (@alexag) August 1, 2013
So as of today H&M is finally online in the US! What a great day for America!
— Amanda Player (@playeramanda) August 1, 2013
I understand that H&M offers stylish clothes at low prices, that its stores are often overcrowded and overwhelming, that shopping online offers great flexibility and convenience, particularly for people who don’t live and work inside a major metropolitan area. I don’t mean to be a tedious jerk — I know designer clothing is expensive (I certainly can’t afford it) and H&M can be a good option for buying on-trend without paying boutique prices — but fast fashion has a devastating effect on the environment and it’s often produced under unsafe and unethical working conditions in the developing world. That doesn’t mean we absolutely have to stop buying from stores like H&M, but we should make an effort to buy less — to buy only the things we need and to take better care of the clothing we already own. I’m just saying: yes, it just got exponentially easier to go on a virtual H&M haul from anywhere in the United States, but that is not a cause for celebration.
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