Why did the Shang Dynasty choose to settle beside the Yellow River?

Loess is a yellowish-gray fertile sediment blown in by the wind. Loess is most commonly found in eastern China and in the American midwest. By farming land rich in loess, the Shang dynasty created a surplus of food.

The banks of the Yellow River were sought because they provided the loess. The Zhou in fact conquered the Shang; the Shang did not conquer the Zhou.