Two Big Openings Yesterday: H&M in Dallas; J. Crew in Toronto

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Two major mass market chains got off to rollicking good starts in two new markets yesterday—Swedish retailer H&M opened its first-ever Texas flaghip at the NorthPark Center in Dallas and J. Crew opened its first Canadian store inside the Yorkdale Mall in Toronto.

WWD calls the H&M launch "controlled pandemonium" as over 1,000 shoppers queued up—in a line that snaked through three of the mall's four corridors—to get first dibs on the company's signature fast fashion. About 150 people slept overnight in the mall's parking lot for a chance to win H&M grand opening store credit scratch-off cards.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Financial Post reports that "throngs of shoppers" descended upon the Yorkdale Mall for J. Crew's opening day. The first-ever Canadian outpost of the preppy-ish American sportswear retailer measures 5,000 square feet—bigger stores are in the works—and features pricing in Canadian dollars equivalent to the US dollar prices on the company's website.
· H&M's Dallas Kick-Off [WWD]
· Long lines at J. Crew's Toronto debut [Financial Post]