H&M Opens New Store on King Street

H&M threw a bit of a block party Thursday when it opened the doors on its new store in the 600 block of King Street at high noon.

As a DJ spun tunes, hundreds sat in the shade along King and Washington streets for a chance at gifts and prizes.

The first 100 customers were treated to gift bags and gift certificates valued between $10 and $300. Everyone braving boredom was treated to free Georgetown Cupcakes courtesy of H&M.

“We’ve spent endless hours putting this store together,” said Rebecca Morgan, H&M’s district manager. “Now we’re going to throw a big party.”

Maelyn Mendoza and Philip Noel Lejano, both from the Baltimore area, arrived in Alexandria at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and sat outside the store all night.

They barely slept, but they believed it would be worth it.

“I like H&M because of the wide variety of clothes they offer—the different patterns, the different solids,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza ended up the big winner of the day, drawing the $300 gift card and entrance into the store a half-hour before it officially opened with the assistance of a personalized shopper.

Aissata Bambara, a recent T.C. Williams High School graduate who also waited overnight, said she likes H&M’s clothing because it’s “classy and affordable.” The Del Ray resident said she previously had to travel to the District to get to H&M. Now it’s just a short trip to the south of her neighborhood.

Morgan decline to comment on how many people the store employs.

The storefront, located at 614 King St., is located between The Gap and Anthropologie. It most recently housed Restoration Hardware.