H&M to open first Iowa store in Davenport. Why not Des Moines?

H&M, popular for offering cheap, chic clothing, will open its first store in Iowa — in Davenport at NorthPark Mall.

Hennes and Mauritz Inc., one of the world's largest retailers, will open a store with about 20,000 square feet in Davenport in the fall, the Swedish company said in a news release.

Nothing against Davenport, but what?

"They're not coming to Des Moines?" asked Katelyn Cheek, a Des Moines area lifestyle blogger for the past six years.

"I would have put money on Des Moines being their first choice. Maybe Iowa City," said Cheek, who visits the H&M's website at least once a week.

She loves the company, especially its kids' clothing and home goods. "They're super affordable," said Cheek, who's an interior designer at the family's custom home-building business in Ankeny.

"Des Moines could use some larger retail chains like that," she said. "We could support it. Des Moines is growing and so should the retail options."

Job growth is likely what attracted H&M to Davenport, said Jillian McCleary, spokeswoman for Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.

McCleary points to projects like Kraft Heinz, which opened a $203 million meat processing facility with about 900 workers, and Sterilite, the maker of household plastics products that's building $175 million, 2.4 million-square-foot facility that will employ 500 people.

"It's really exciting," McCleary said, adding that popular retailers help make the area more attractive for workers, especially young employees that cities compete for.

She thinks the new store will help draw even more shoppers to the Quad Cities area, which also includes Bettendorf, and Moline and Rock Island, both in Illinois.

Patrick Shaner, an H&M spokesman, didn't close the door to an H&M store in the Des Moines metro: "H&M is always looking for the best locations for its new stores, so we don’t rule out other possible stores in the state."

The new H&M location in Davenport will offer clothing for women, men and teens, as well as separate “store within a store” sections for accessories.

It also will carry the H&M kids collection for newborns to 14-year-olds, the company said.

Cheek said it's unlikely she'll make the 330-mile roundtrip to Davenport to visit the store. She'll probably just continue visiting the H&M store in Omaha, when she goes to see family.

"There's something nice about going to the store and feeling the material, rather than guess if you like it or not," she said.

H&M expects to hire about 20 employees with the opening of its Davenport store, the company said. Altogether, the company employs about 16,000 U.S. workers