H&M CHEAP-CHIC RETAILER DRAWS CROWD SWEDISH STORE BRINGS TRENDS TO VALLEY MALL.

Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT

Staff Writer

CANOGA PARK -- Sherrlyne Apostol spent the night on a hard floor to be among the first shoppers to rifle through racks of clothing at cheap-yet-chic Swedish retailer H&M, which opened Thursday at the Westfield Topanga mall.

For her long night stay, the 17-year-old -- along with her sister and two friends -- received a gift bag with a T-shirt, lunchbox and notebook. The first 100 people in line also received gift cards worth $10 and $200.

"It's all the trendy type of style clothes for a cheaper price," Apostol said minutes before H&M's doors opened.

The popular Swedish retailer, which has successfully marketed discount clothing to high-end consumers, drew about 200 shoppers for the opening of its fourth Southern California store.

Customers waited in a line that looped down and back along a mall corridor while fresh-faced H&M employees threw down their best dance moves. In tight black T-shirts and pants, H&M clerks cheered one another on as a DJ mixed tracks.

A high-pitched buzz has accompanied the retailer's openings in Pasadena, at the Beverly Center and at the Irvine Spectrum. In all three cases, eager customers camped out overnight to buy $29 purses, $24 capri pants and single-digit accessories.

The scene was no different at Topanga.

Apostol was the first in line for the Topanga opening. At 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, her group spread out blankets to sleep in front of the two-level store with 22,000 square feet of floor space.

The store carries H&M's full line of clothes for men, women and children. The retailer is known for churning out clothes from initial conception to the finished floor product in weeks.

In 2006, H&M's sales were $68.4 billion, up from $61.2 billion the year before.

The new store is next to Macy's on the northwest side of the mall. The opening, originally planned for spring, was pushed back because of construction delays.

H&M's opening buzz will help drive foot traffic to the west side of the mall, which has become quieter since a $500 million wing opened in October on the east side, Westfield spokeswoman Sarah Richardson said.

"It's more than just a specialty store," Richardson said. "It really is a traffic driver, and it's a special concept that people come out and see. It's a destination."

Rick Wong, a co-manager at the shoe and accessories store Journey's, said he welcomed H&M with open arms because they share similar customers. Both stores carry trendy clothes that appeal to a younger crowd.

"I think it's going to bring a lot more business," Wong said. "I'm pretty stoked."

H&M joins a slew of upscale retailers such as Coach, Burberry and Nordstrom and discount retailers such as Target and Payless ShoeSource. Still, the mall is known for its high-end atmosphere, which includes a full-service concierge, valet parking and a food court so fancy it's called a dining terrace.

Soon, H&M will be neighbors with the creme de la creme, Neiman Marcus. Neiman is rebuilding the old Nordstrom and is slated to open in late 2008.

But the low-budget H&M isn't worried about its proximity to haute couture or the hefty price tags. Plenty of H&M customers shop at top-tier stores and vice versa, H&M spokeswoman Lisa Sandberg said.

"They are really into mixing and matching. They have a sense of their own style. From the beachgoers to the A-listers, you really have an array of people."

julia.scott(at)dailynews.com

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(1 -- 2 -- color) Jeniece Thompson of Canoga Park looks at H&M's accessories at the Westfield Topanga mall Thursday. A long line of shoppers, top, waited for the cheap-yet-chic retailer to open.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer