H&M has announced plans to shutter more than a quarter of its stores in Spain, leading to more than 550 job losses.

According to the CCOO union, the company said that the layoffs had to be carried out for unspecified organisational, productive and economic reasons.

The union, which will start negotiations with the retailer in September, said that H&M will close 28 of its 91 stores in the country.

A spokesperson for the union said: "We believe the measure is too aggressive and it is possible to look for solutions which doesn't imply job losses.”

H&M has not publicly commented on the news

Elsewhere in Australia, H&M has pulled a back to school advertisement after facing complaints that the campaign encouraged the sexualisation of under-age girls.

The advert which featured two girls and the caption "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion" drew the ire of concerned parents.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Swedish fast fashion brand said: “We have removed this ad. We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward."

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