Top of the pots: Le Creuset sale sparks four-hour long queues as police called in to manage crowds
11 November 2024, 13:22 | Updated: 11 November 2024, 13:55
Police were called to a Le Creuset warehouse over the weekend after a sale sparked mile-long queues.
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The cookware brand held a sale at its warehouse in Andover, Hampshire, leaving shoppers waiting more than four-hours to grab themselves a bargain.
Police were called to the area after hundreds of shoppers caused congestion on local roads, with them spending over an hour and a half helping out with traffic control.
Some people are said to have travelled from as far as Manchester for the event.
Prices were slashed by more than half on several items, including casserole dishes, baking trays and crockery, with customers saying the chaos inside was a "shambles" but "worth it".
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The sale kicked off from 9am on Saturday and 8am the following day.
One TikTok user revealed that they had spent £1,127 on a selection of items that would have originally cost £2,741.50 - saving them £1,614.50.
The purchases included a casserole pot priced at £159 instead of £269 and oven mitts, which were originally priced at £64, cut to just £20.
Le Creuset promoted the sale as "first-come-first-served" as part of its "largest in-person event".
They told customers: "Attendees can shop a selection of premium cookware, including limited-edition colours, rare shapes and other unique styles at special prices."
A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said: "We attended London Road and the A3093 in Andover yesterday morning (Saturday 9 November) following reports of heavy congestion in the area.
"We began receiving reports at 9.45am and we attended to assist with traffic control.
"Traffic had eased by around 11.15am and we left the area shortly afterwards."
