I don't know where to begin! The good? the bad? Or plain ugly (the bags and the shoes!!)? Let's start with the bad. The worst thing that could ever happen to B2C marketing is over promise and under deliver. I have received an "exclusive" VIP invite to be "the first to preview and shop the Versace for H&M collection from 8:00am to 9:00am". And even though I'm not a fan of Versace nor did I like its H&M women's collection, I thought it would be fun to go and see the collection up close in an exclusive event since I won't be pushed around by crazy crowds (little did I know!), plus I liked the hot pink suit from the men's collection. So we came in 10 minutes before the opening, only to find that there were already two loooong queues lined up outside the store. So I checked with the staff, who were all friendly, attentive, and looked chic dressed in Versace for H&M (like the ones featured in the first photo who looked tres chic!), and apparently, one queue was for the public and the other queue was for people with invites. "I came in at 5:30 AM and people started to line up at 6 AM!!" said the friendly staffer. Wow! So when do people with invites get in I casually and innocently asked? "At 8" she replied. Ok sounds good... but I wasn't too optimistic since we stood at the end of the line, which was close to Zara! And at 8 the doors opened and suddenly every single person outside of the store, whether standing in queue or not, rushed in. Crowds stampeded into the store like there was no tomorrow! I was stunned! But wait! Weren't we supposed to get in earlier? Hello? Anyone? VIP? What VIP! So I went straight to the men's section. And to my luck there were hardly any people shopping. The good? I got the hot pink suit and a silk chiffon scarf with cute alligator prints. And by 8:20 am I was out of the door.
If I knew that the not-so-exclusive invite was a free-for-all pass, I wouldn't have bothered to go. I do appreciate the fact that I got invited. It was very nice of the H&M team, but I wish they had told us earlier what to expect. I hate seeing people fighting over clothes and screaming, I hate queuing to shop, it just turns me off. If you're following my tweets, you probably have an idea of what went on. I just hope next time, such events would be more organized like they do it in Europe and the states, where you get time slots to shop and a minimum number of purchased items.
Were you there too? How was your experience?
That's how fast people were moving running inside the store!
Empty racks
Comments
when i was on my way to the Avs i heard at the FM 99.7 that they have sneak peak yesterday!! what how come, then there are people who got their items first??
plus i heard one of the staff that she dosnt know me telling her friend "don't buy this i already got one for you??" i was like heeey what is going on here???
and when i called the one who supposed to be the social media specialist and i asked her where is the VIP she said "awww sorry next time inshalah!!"
H&M Kuwait FAILED BIG TIME
I did already Lanvin events in London and trust me the queue was the same but the organization was completely different!!!
Why to send invitation VIP if any customers was able to shop? The team should plan better and bought more stock?!!My friends the shelves was empty after 60s!!
I don’t know how had a chance to get a piece but I and my friend was there since 6am with a ‘VIP’ Pass my friends!!The all thinks was not organize and crazy!! We left very frustrated and I will not again assist to this type of opening in GCC!!!
I did already Lanvin events in London and trust me the queue was the same but the organization was completely different!!!
Why to send invitation VIP if any customers was able to shop? The team should plan better and bought more stock?!!My friends the shelves was empty after 60s!!
I don’t know how had a chance to get a piece but I and my friend was there since 6am with a ‘VIP’ Pass!!The all thinks was not organize and crazy!!I never Experiment this in my all life we left very frustrated, I will not again assist to this type of opening here!
It was a war zone :/
i wasnt there (thank god!) but a friend of mine was and she told me exactly what happened. people were apparently throwing clothes they didnt want in the air and the lucky person would catch it!
i do put the blame mostly on h&m not thinking this through carefully, but the people (public) also need to learn how to stand in line and not go crazy during events such as these.
Thats sumthing I don't undersant, wela ga3d namshy eb mabda2 3ain
3athary?
sorry about your VIP invitation going wrong, you are one of the people who deserve to be there more than any other girl
the crazier they'll go.
The more they buy,
The better they'll feel.
It's all about marketing.
that's not cool.
I'm happy that I was not there
I think H&M did great job to let everybody
enter at the same time, cause everybody should
have a chance to buy, we are all the same
I asked a lady if I could see the pink bag she was buying, It was my last chance to see/touch it. Prices where high, quality was poor and luckily I slep as always instead of running for fight
I dont like crowded places and i remember last year what happend when they launchd the lanvin collection i went around 10 and everything was gone when i got back home i saw the posts and what crazy people we have all this for some pieces of clothes !
I went there w didn't get what i wanted , unfortunately .. .. bas 3adi 7a9al 5air w 3alaihom bil3afya ely sharaw .. 7aram 6ala3taw hal cham item mn chboodhom! telgain el bint mestansa 3aly sharita etdish tegra eta7asaf!
oo about the VIP invitation , my close friend gets an invitation every year , w galatli mn gabel tara 3adi eda5loon el kil malich she'3el , so it's not new , Why is it so frustrating for you guys enkom ted5iloon ma3a baji el awadem?
all i'm saying is please guys stop being so negative !
elmishkela most of you etgooloon ena el collection makan 3ajebkom w etc , 3ayal laish kel hal a39ab w 3 days of negativity and te7el6em ,
3alaihom bil3afya elly sharaw ,,
I do agree ena ra7 ekoon shakelkom 7ilo w athrab ya banat etha next time kintaw more organized , after all 6areeqat ta3amelkom w labaqatkom is way more important than lebskom .. bas still estansaw b ur pieces oo malboos il3afya
It was very disappointing... I couldnt even set a foot inside because this isnt the way I can shop!
Printing VIP tickets that are not VIP at all and over promising is a BIG NO NO
Oh and what Rainy said... I heard about it too! That one of the staff members told someone she knows (a friend) not to get whatever she was holding because she already got her one!!! 3aib
i'm not attend the event in Avenue but in the next day ( the event was in 17 November) so i go at 10:30 to marina and same crazy i see people around and things fly but anyway i'm just go for cures to know what all of this about what ... ;)
but in the end this first time i see flying dress jumping chose it like "souq eljom3a" in sale... :P