This is kind of a big deal.

H&M has become one of the largest budget fashion retailers in the world. That’s my opinion, of course, but judging by the fact that I see one in nearly every city and every country I travel to, I think it’s valid.

But for the longest time, you could only experience their great deals and huge selection in-store.

Not anymore.

By the end of 2011, H&M plans to have a fully-launched online retail operation in the US, and I’m hoping its functionality is akin to that of similar online retailers like Urban Outfitters, who makes it a pleasure to shop online. That’s the trouble with retailers moving online…sometimes it’s still no fun to shop with them. I’m holding out hope that H&M will get it right.

How do you think they’ll fare in the increasingly competitive U.S. e-commerce space?