Dec 15 (Reuters) - Swedish fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz said on Wednesday that sales at its established stores rose 8 percent in November from a year earlier.

H&M in New York (Image by H&M)

The Swedish retailer said total sales, which includes newly opened stores, were up 17 percent in the month. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast an average 16.8 percent increase.

Figures for stores open a year or more were also broadly in line with analysts' forecasts.
November is the final month of the company's financial year and it said full-year total sales were up 15 percent with like-for-like sales up 5 percent.

H&M, the world's third biggest by sales, does not release absolute sales figures, only the percentage change in local currencies. It does not comment on sales figures.