Retail Rumblings
H&M looking at three mall locations for first Houston stores, Austin to follow suit?
First Dallas. Now Houston. What about us?
The frenzy over H&M's plans for expansion to Houston just won't stop.
CultureMap Houston readers were thrilled to learn our exclusive news that the purveyor of cheap and chic fashion has targeted the Bayou City. Nearly 2,000 readers "liked" the report and a lot of you commented on our tongue-in-cheek suggestions for H&M locations.
It appears the retailer is getting down to business. Local commercial real estate sources tell CultureMap that H&M is in talks with leasing agents regarding space at The Galleria, Memorial City Mall and The Woodlands Mall. No deal has been inked yet, but an announcement regarding the openings is expected at the end of the year, with The Galleria location expected to be the first to open, sometime early next year.
H&M officials are keeping mum on possible locations and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the mall strategy appears to mirror what's happening in Dallas, where the retailer opened its first Texas store in the popular NorthPark Center.
It begs the question, will you make a special trip to Houston or Dallas just to visit this retail Mecca, or will you hold out until Austin (hopefully) gets an outpost of its own, down the line?