Hennes and Mauritz I̶n̶c̶.̶ AB* is one of the most popular retail chains on the planet.
Wait, who's Hennes and Mauritz? Oh, excuse us. Best to use the name its fans know it best as ... simply, H&M.
Like the restaurants that stay packed because they're fast, cheap and good, H&M has earned a reputation for low- and moderately priced merchandise that's not cheap junk. A news release describes it as "one of the world's largest fashion retailers, famous for offering fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way." And under the roofs of its outlets, there's something for everybody ... women, men, girls, boys, young, old, conservative and fashion-forward. The Sweden-based H&M group has about 4,500 stores in 66 markets.
Little wonder that, like Sephora at one time, H&M hovered on "I wish we'd get a ... " lists of Arkansans who had to shop online or travel out of state.
Until ...
In March 2016, it's announced that, finally, H&M would be coming to Arkansas in November of that year. Well, coming to ... Jonesboro. Jonesboro? Sure, northeast Arkansans need their fashion fixes, too. But, er, what about the capital city? As it happens, plans for a Little Rock outlet are in the works, too. A year after the Jonesboro store is announced, it's revealed that an H&M store will be opening in October in Park Plaza and Outlets of Little Rock.
The location in the latter is still in "coming soon" status. But in September, an Oct. 19 date is announced for the grand opening of H&M in Park Plaza. Oh happy day.
The opening time: Noon -- two hours after stores in the mall usually crack their doors.
The day arrives. At 10, there is already a long line of people waiting outside of the new, two-story, 30,000-square-foot store. There's a double incentive for them to be there. Hey, it's H&M. Bam! Also, it has been advertised that the first 200 shoppers would be offered a scratch-off H&M Access to Fashion Pass, valued between $100-$300. Customers who bring clothing items to be recycled that day can enter to win gift cards from $50-$250.
Early birds
No. 1 in line, Sarah Moore, 28, of North Little Rock, is determined to cash in on the early-bird deal. "I've been here since 5:30," says Moore, who camped outside until 6 before entering the mall.
Leslie Smith Doan, 55, of Little Rock, is third in line, having shown up at 7 a.m. Doan became an H&M fan when watching the TV show Glee with her daughters. "Some of the cheerleaders ... wore really cute clothes," she says. "We looked them up online and they were H&M." Doan and her girls shopped outlets in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. "When they had one here opening up, I said 'Oh my God, yes!'"
Fourth in line is Preston Richman, 27, who's from Little Rock but works at the H&M in Jonesboro. "I like the prices and the quality of the clothes," as well as the recycling discounts, he says. This store, he notes, "is way bigger" than the one in Jonesboro.
Nos. 5 and 6 in line are Kaitlyn Johnson, 18, a student at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, and her mother. Kaitlyn, as with Doan and Richman, showed up around 7. "I went to H&M for the first time in New York ... [when] we went to the Macy's parade," Johnson says. "I loved it, and then I realized that there were like, none nearby." She's excited about the Little Rock opening: "Most of my closet is H&M so honestly, I'm just working on building that."
Alana Smith, 32, of Little Rock, is farther back in line, along with a friend. Smith shopped the store in other states as well as online after noting its popularity. She prizes the store's selection; sweater dresses, a mere $12 apiece, have been among her favorite H&M finds. "When they said they were bringing it to Little Rock, I was like, 'Oh, OK. Now we've got something cooking." Smith says she's looking for items for her nephew, since the store has clothing for young boys.
Choosing to wait on a nearby bench are Vickie Click, 60, also of Little Rock, and her husband, Nathaniel Click, 76. They wander into the excitement. "They're giving away gift cards and everything else," so she thought she'd get in on it, Vickie Click says, adding that her daughter shops the store in Texas "and she loves it."
Their bench neighbor, 68-year-old Naomi Jones of Little Rock, heard about the store opening from her daughter, who'd shopped H&M in Atlanta. "We both went to ... the one in Dallas," she says, adding she marked the date on her calendar. "And I got here as early as I could to see if I could get me a gift card and see if I could do a little shopping. ... I'm really anxious to get inside and see what they've got."
Ladies (and gents) in waiting
As the noon opening time draws closer, the line lengthens into three lanes, with local police officers and mall security on hand to make sure things stay orderly. By 11:30, the line is three lanes deep, with some shoppers taking their seats on the floor.
One woman comes around a nearby corner. "Jesus," she blurts out before asking a bystander when the store would open. A trio of young people, two guys and a girl, come around the same corner. "Daaaang!" the girl exclaims.
"In 10 minutes, we're gonna start giving out some stuff, guys," a voice over a loudspeaker proclaims. "So please line up in a single file if you're waiting line in line to get into the store. And if you have any friends that went to the bathroom please make sure they're back in about 10 minutes or less."
A DJ cranks up the music. H&M employees -- some of whom wear distinctive H&M sweaters with faux-fur sleeves or emblazoned with open lips that form cutout necklines -- form a group in front of the store and start dancing to the music that blares loudly over the sound system: DJ Casper's "Cha-Cha Slide." Silento's "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)." Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."
Meanwhile, on the other side of a red ribbon roping off the store's entrance is the calm before the storm: a wonderland of clothing, displayed neatly and divided according to labeled departments. On one rack in the girls' and women's areas: a sweater for $49.99. On another, a rose gold quilted bubble jacket, $59.99. On yet others: a chic burgundy dress, $39.99, and burgundy turtlenecks, $24.99. A pair of leggings-like pants, $34.99, looking like something you'd find in the ritzier department stores. In the men's area: button-down Oxfords, $14.99 for solid and prints. And there's much, much more: Club clothes. Jeans. Undies. Footwear, including attractive ankle boots for women. "Pleather" and knit gloves. Watches. Pompom keychains. All manners of purses. Pith helmets. Tasseled earrings. Fake prescription glasses. Wait, where are those cute sweaters with the faux-fur sleeves? They're available at Handm.com, but not in the store, an employee says.
"Little Rock, it's almost that time," comes the voice over the loudspeaker as the music continues.
Release the rackin'!
At last, it's that time. A blaring remix of the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars hit "Uptown Funk" is interrupted by a tinny voice over the loudspeaker: "Welcome to the grand opening of the new H&M," followed by a 10-second countdown along with the crowd chants. The tinny voice repeats its welcome. As the opening strains of LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" blare out, the employees march in, spread out and take their various posts. Then the customers trickle in.
It doesn't take long for people to start scoring some finds. Doan, the one third in line, is soon gripping four prospective purchase items. The first woman in line scored $300 on her scratch-off gift card, Doan reports; the second person in line got $200. Doan herself got a $100 credit.
At 12:12, people are already in the checkout line. And the unisex line for the dressing rooms already resembles the line to get in the place. The store that looked so serene a few minutes earlier is now hard to maneuver in.
It's enough to make one wonder what the Outlets at Little Rock store opening will bring. Chances are it will bring those who learned their lesson about how early to show up for opening day of an H&M store.
And, one might hope, it will bring fur-sleeved sweaters.
Style on 11/07/2017
*CORRECTION: Hennes and Mauritz AB is the legal name of the H&M retail clothing chain that opened an outlet Oct. 19 in Little Rock’s Park Plaza mall. The name was incorrect in a previous version of this story.