After hundreds of enthusiasts headed to malls ahead of the highly-anticipated Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration launch on May 16, Swatch has now issued a statement.
The watch company urged customers not to rush to stores, warning them that in some locations, queues of more than 50 people will not be accepted. It said that in cases where too many people may gather, sales may need to be paused to ensure customer and staff safety.
Swatch said, “To ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we kindly ask you not to rush to our stores in large numbers to acquire this product.”
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Quelling any rumours of the ‘The Royal Pop Collection’ dropping in a limited quantity, the watch company said that the collaboration will “remain available for several months”.
Crowds were seen gathering overnight at two of Dubai’s malls ahead of the highly-anticipated drop. In the UAE, however, the launch event was then cancelled owing to safety concerns. Some residents took to social media to express their frustration. One described it as one of the “most poorly managed launches” while another said that he had waited over 18 hours and was bitterly disappointed.
Across the world, other launch events saw chaos and cancellations too. In the Indian cities of Mumbai and Delhi, the launches were cancelled at the Palladium Mall and DLF Avenue, respectively, again due to the massive crowds and security reasons.
In Singapore, people began queuing up at various locations as early as 4pm on Friday according to media reports and the watches were sold out in under two hours once the shop opened on Saturday morning. One of the outlets had to close due to the “overwhelming crowd.”
Source: Khaleej Times