H&M; to open in April

Mission Viejo teen Danielle Henderson calls it her church. Neighboring stores say they hope it’ll bring more traffic to their stores. And one shopper called it a disappointment. But one thing’s for sure — many people are awaiting the arrival of two H&M; clothing stores at South Coast Plaza.

South Coast Plaza is known for its high-end boutiques and world class restaurants, but two H&M; stores, slated for an April opening, will ensure there’s affordable, hip fashion available too.

“H&M; is good at keeping the concept fresh and exciting, and it’s perfect for South Coast Plaza in that way,” shopping center spokeswoman Debra Gunn-Downing said. “Our customers have a high fashion awareness and expect we will provide that kind of shopping experience.”

One of the stores will be in the Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Store wing on the third level, and the other will open the same day, which has not been announced, in the main shopping center near what will be the future Bloomingdale’s wing. H&M; stores sell discount clothes but market to consumers looking for high-end fashion.

The company has partnered with big names, including its new spokeswoman Madonna, who has recently collaborated on a new line for the company. H&M; has also worked with Stella McCartney, famous designer and daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney, for a line in 2005.

“South Coast Plaza is a shopping plaza with one of the highest sales volumes in the U.S.,” H&M; spokeswoman Lisa Sandberg said in an e-mail to the Daily Pilot. “The tenants are luxury retailers and attract fashion-conscious customers, providing the right fit for H&M.;”

Danielle, 17, immediately started telling her two friends Melanie Tong, 17, of Diamond Bar, and Bree Haus, 17, of Newport Beach, about the store, which she used to shop at when she lived in Paris about two years ago.

“It’s dead cheap … and the style is so unique…. As soon as I walked in and saw the sign, I told them ‘H&M; is like my church,’ ” Danielle said while looking for winter-formal dresses.

The store has attracted thousands of visitors to line up at its recent openings in Pasadena and Los Angeles, and South Coast Plaza expects a similar welcome.

Stores in the Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Store wing, expect that the addition of H&M; will attract more customers to an area that’s not as busy as the main center.

“We’re super excited, it will … definitely bring this side of the mall more traffic,” Miss Sixty manager Annie O’Brien said. The denim and fashion retailer is next door to where H&M; will open.

O’Brien said she thinks it will also attract a younger crowd to the store.

“It’ll bring a lot of the junior high and high school kids too, which will probably mean more window shopping,” O’Brien said. “But I think that will eventually mean more dollars for us…. And even if that’s slow at first, I’m positive in the end it will get the Miss Sixty name out more.”

Between the two stores, which will collectively take up more than 100,000 square feet, South Coast Plaza customers will be able to shop the store’s entire line, which includes men’s, women’s and kid’s clothes.

“H&M; has been so innovative as a retailer,” Gunn-Downing said. “H&M; has taken the fast, fashion-forward concept and really developed an excitement around it, more so than almost any other retailer.”

The third level of the Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Store wing is already full of stores aimed at the fashion-forward youth, including Diesel, Paul Frank, Miss Sixty and Puma.

But those stores’ employees aren’t just glad it’ll bring more people to their shops — they’re excited to shop there too.

“The prices are great, and it’s fun and trendy,” Paul Frank employee Erin Fennell said.

And although most are anticipating the arrival, Westminster resident and South Coast Plaza shopper Carly Gibson said she wasn’t very impressed with the chain’s other Southern California stores, although she was curious to know when the Costa Mesa stores would open.

“I was actually pretty disappointed with it. Forever 21 is way better,” Gibson said. She added that she and a friend waited more than 30 minutes to get in the Pasadena store the second week it was open.

H&M; was started in Sweden 60 years ago and now has more than 1,300 stores in 24 countries. An H&M; will also be opening this spring at the Irvine Spectrum, which is owned by he Newport Beach-based Irvine Co.