H&M, a popular clothing retailer, announced Monday it will open at Tucson Mall this summer.
H&M, or Hennes & Mauritz, is a Swedish chain known for selling high fashion at affordable prices. It has about 200 stores in the U.S. and nearly 2,000 stores in about 35 countries.
Its location at the mall at 4500 N. Oracle Road will cover 21,000 square feet.
The company also announced plans to open a 24,000-square-foot location at Scottsdale Fashion Square. It opened its first Arizona store late last year at Scottsdale Quarter.
"We definitely feel the Scottsdale area has a great customer base. And we feel there's great potential in Tucson, as well," said Nicole Christie, an H&M spokeswoman.
H&M is known for partnering with well-known designers, such as Jimmy Choo and Sonia Rykiel, but the company also designs its own collections, from basic T-shirts to more fashion-forward clothing, Christie said.
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Rumors had circulated that the chain would enter the Tucson market, and some local shoppers were excited Monday to hear a firm announcement.
University of Arizona sophomore Katherine Huerta won't have to travel to Scottsdale any longer to get her H&M fix.
"Tucson doesn't have as many stores as Scottsdale, so people go up there to shop," she said. "But now that Tucson is getting a store, people can stay here and shop."
She said she last shopped at H&M when she was in Los Angeles a couple of months ago.
Huerta, 20, scored jeans and a dress during the visit.
"It's a fun, young store," she said.
She's also fond of the prices.
"The prices are reasonable. You can find inexpensive things as well as expensive things. There's a lot of everything," she said.
Christie couldn't say how many workers the new store would employ. But she said the store at Scottsdale Quarter, which is about 24,000 square feet, has 50 employees.
Jim Heilmann, general manager of Tucson Mall, said H&M's location will sit near the new entrance on the south-facing side of the mall.
The clothing store will occupy a two-level building attached to the mall, next to The Cheesecake Factory, which recently opened, and the soon-to-open outdoor cooperative REI.
When H&M opens, which Heilmann said would likely occur late in the summer, it will join several other restaurants and shops at the new entrance.
Construction on the new entrance, which faces West Wetmore Road, was completed in November.
"The economic slowdown has delayed certain deals," Heilmann said. "But everything, for the most part, is moving forward."
H&M, meanwhile, is expanding nationwide with plans to open 20 new stores in the United States, Christie said.
"We want to make our passion accessible to more neighborhoods and markets," she said.
New stores at Tucson Mall
Coming soon
• Recreational Equipment Inc., the popular outdoor cooperative better known as REI, will open May 21.
• Shane's Rib Shack plans to open later this month.
• Charming Charlie, which sells jewelry and accessories, recently leased 8,000 square feet.
• Soma Intimates, a lingerie store, plans to open early in June.
Recent arrivals
• The Cheesecake Factory opened Feb. 4.
• Papaya, a clothing store, opened at the end of April.
• J. Jill, also a clothes retailer, opened in March.
• dELiA's, another clothing shop, opened in March.
Star reporter Andrea Rivera contributed to this story. Contact reporter Dale Quinn at 573-4197 or dquinn@azstarnet.com