It does not look like much now, but in a matter of weeks an empty space in the Baybrook Mall will hold Houston's first-ever area H&M store. Never heard of it? Shopper Misty Magliolo certainly has been in a New York store.
"They have my size and that's the hardest thing sometimes to find," she said. "I think they offer a variety for everybody from the moms to the kids."
Magliolo says H&M is a lot like her other favorite store, Forever 21, only less expensive.
"I like a lot of the stores that have similar styles, but I think their prices are going to be a lot better. They are going to stay very busy," Magliolo predicted.
H&M is short for Hennes and Mauritz. It is a Swedish retailer and while it has more than 200 US stores, the Baybrook Mall is the first Houston area location.
Shopper Brittany Richmond said, "They have very trendy clothes, very affordable and it is going to be good for them to open here."
H&M dates back to 1947 and is one of the largest clothing companies in the world. Clear Lake residents who have only heard about H&M are ready to see it open locally. Shopper Kristin Hughes plans on spending time in the new store.
"I am excited for it," she said. "I will definitely go shop there when it first opens. I am excited to see what they have."
Shannon Permenter has three girls and says H&M will likely get a lot of her money in the years to come.
She said, "I think it will be great, more shopping for me. My husband is not going to like it but my kids and I would like to go."
The store opens in the spring of this year. Construction work is already beginning and it will occupy about 19,000 square feet of the Baybrook Mall when finished. A second Houston location is being planned for the Willowbrook Mall, but an opening date for that store has not been announced.
