Chaos at Coles as shoppers go wild over new store opening
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Few can tolerate standing in a queue in anticipation of an exclusive deal or product launch.
But this week, hundreds of frenzied shoppers stood in line as they waited for the grand opening of Coles’ new branch at Highpoint in Melbourne.
Images taken at the shopping centre showed a huge turnout of people waiting by the supermarket’s doors – all anticipating the opening of the first-ever Coles at Highpoint last Friday.
It was reported that eager customers queued as early as 6 am because of the supermarket’s promotion: Coles had announced that the first 100 customers would receive a ‘free Christmas gift bag’, which was filled with boxes of chocolate and fruit mince pies.
When 9 am rolled around, the crowd allegedly erupted into a stampede as people tried to burst through the store’s doors the moment they opened. Many were left stuck in line even after the goodie bags were snapped up.
This led to angry shoppers venting their frustrations online because they felt crowd control was ‘non-existent’ at the time.
‘The opening of your new Highpoint store was disgusting! So many lovely customers were lined up orderly for hours and when the time came to walk in – it was a massive push around,’ someone wrote.
Another said that people arrived at 7 am and were in line as directed, with only 20 customers in front of them and still missed out on the promotional goodie bag.
‘The allowed stampede was an absolute disgrace,’ shared another.
A spokesperson for Coles told reporters at the time that they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the shopper’s response to the new store’s opening, but reiterated that the giveaway helped ‘spread the Christmas cheer’.
Despite the chaos, Coles hailed their grand opening a ‘huge success. Many also praised the look of the new Coles store, calling it ‘large and spacious’.
‘We are pleased to hear customers are enjoying the brand-new Coles Highpoint after its highly-anticipated opening. The new store has provided an employment boost for the local area just in time for the busy Christmas rush – creating 130 new jobs,’ said the spokesperson.
The new store is a ‘state-of-the-art’ supermarket, and has a frozen dessert bar complete with mochi and macarons, a ‘squeeze-your-own orange juice’ machine, a ‘scoop and weigh’ pet treat bar, and an open-front bakery with fresh flatbread, sourdough, patisseries, and celebration cakes, as well as a selection of Coles ready-made meals.
Are you a fan of Coles’ latest store? Did you manage to snag a goodie bag? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
But this week, hundreds of frenzied shoppers stood in line as they waited for the grand opening of Coles’ new branch at Highpoint in Melbourne.
Images taken at the shopping centre showed a huge turnout of people waiting by the supermarket’s doors – all anticipating the opening of the first-ever Coles at Highpoint last Friday.
It was reported that eager customers queued as early as 6 am because of the supermarket’s promotion: Coles had announced that the first 100 customers would receive a ‘free Christmas gift bag’, which was filled with boxes of chocolate and fruit mince pies.
Hundreds lined up for the store’s grand opening. Credit: Facebook
When 9 am rolled around, the crowd allegedly erupted into a stampede as people tried to burst through the store’s doors the moment they opened. Many were left stuck in line even after the goodie bags were snapped up.
This led to angry shoppers venting their frustrations online because they felt crowd control was ‘non-existent’ at the time.
‘The opening of your new Highpoint store was disgusting! So many lovely customers were lined up orderly for hours and when the time came to walk in – it was a massive push around,’ someone wrote.
Another said that people arrived at 7 am and were in line as directed, with only 20 customers in front of them and still missed out on the promotional goodie bag.
‘The allowed stampede was an absolute disgrace,’ shared another.
Many flocked to the entrance as soon as the gates opened. Credit: Facebook
Despite the chaos, Coles hailed their grand opening a ‘huge success. Many also praised the look of the new Coles store, calling it ‘large and spacious’.
‘We are pleased to hear customers are enjoying the brand-new Coles Highpoint after its highly-anticipated opening. The new store has provided an employment boost for the local area just in time for the busy Christmas rush – creating 130 new jobs,’ said the spokesperson.
The new store is a ‘state-of-the-art’ supermarket, and has a frozen dessert bar complete with mochi and macarons, a ‘squeeze-your-own orange juice’ machine, a ‘scoop and weigh’ pet treat bar, and an open-front bakery with fresh flatbread, sourdough, patisseries, and celebration cakes, as well as a selection of Coles ready-made meals.
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