Mobs gathered, traffic queues clogged the roads for miles and miles amid hour-long waits, and the police had to be called to try to help keep the peace.
However, this was not a high-voltage football clash, a pop concert or a political protest, but a marauding swarm over a sale of middle-class cookware favorite Le Creuset.
Hampshire police were put on alert when hundreds of buyers formed four-hour queues trying to get their hands on pots and pans from the Franco-Belgian company.
Officers had to patrol hordes gathered at a Hampshire retail property after Le Creuset products were put on sale at reduced prices, with queues of returning shoppers stretching for miles.
Shoppers from across the UK flocked to sales at the company’s Andover warehouse over the weekend looking for deals of up to half price on pots, baking trays and tableware.
Did YOU go to the Le Creuset sales? Email Aidan.radnedge.mol@mailonline.co.uk
Social media users talk about hours-long queues for a Le Creuset sale
Rows of shoppers gathered at a warehouse in Andover, Hampshire, over the weekend.
Buyers were seen flocking inside the Hampshire sale as Le Creuset prices were slashed.
Kitchenware company Le Creuset offers deals of up to half price on its pots and pans
The agreements were launched at 9 a.m. on Saturday and at 8 a.m. the next day, and a TikTok user shared a video revealing how they had spent £1,127 on a range of items that would have otherwise cost £2,741.50, a saving of £1,614.50.
Her purchases included a round cast iron saucepan for £159 instead of £269, a stainless steel saucepan for £99 instead of £215 and an oven mitt for £16 instead of £43.
They also bought a wine aerator and pourer costing £6 instead of £20 and a stoneware butter dish priced at £10 instead of £42.
And the popularity of the deals – and the traffic congestion as customers rushed to get there – was such that Hampshire Police had to come in to help control and manage the flow.
People there described how queues to get in lasted up to four hours, with customers getting out of their vehicles and remaining on the sidewalk in front of the venue.
Many people who eventually made it in posted on social media, including TikTok, about their purchases, including wine glasses, mugs, plates and bowls.
Hampshire Police told the Telegraph: ‘We attended London Road and the A3093 in Andover on Saturday morning following reports of heavy congestion in the area.
‘We started receiving reports at 9:45 and we assisted to help with traffic control. Around 11.15am traffic eased and we left the area shortly afterwards.’
Le Creuset had previously announced the Andover weekend as its “largest in-person event,” ticket-free and “first-come, first-served.”
The company told potential consumers: “Attendees can purchase a selection of premium cookware, including limited edition colors, rare shapes and other unique styles at special prices.”
Classic kitchenware brands such as not only Le Creuset but also Smeg and KitchenAid have become popular among Generation Z in recent months.
TikTok users have been quick to show off their shiny branded appliances in their home kitchens in an unlikely fashion trend, while the hashtag #dutchovens has more than 320 million views on the social media platform.
Others have shared clips of searching for Le Creuset ‘deals’ at discounters such as TK Maxx and the Bicester Village outlet in Oxfordshire.
Analysts have highlighted the apparent appeal in terms of sustainability, durability, sense of nostalgia and vintage vibes.
French premium cookware brand Le Creuset has been selling expensive pots and pans since 1925 in various colors, but is best known for its classic orange.
YouTuber Emily Canham from Northamptonshire posted a video on TikTok of herself preparing dinner, with her pink cast-iron-cased casserole dish (which costs £255) in front.
Home decor account @at.home.with.missb showed off its £134 cream Smeg teapot
Last year, the brand reported a 20 percent drop in sales, but also stood out for attracting more than 260,000 followers on TikTok.
Recent launches have included pastel collections, casseroles adorned with a petal design, a heart-shaped Valentine’s collection, and small bowls shaped like fruits and pumpkins.
The cookware has become beloved by UK influencers such as YouTuber Emily Canham from Northamptonshire, who posted a video on TikTok of herself preparing dinner, with her pink cast iron shell casserole, priced at £ 255, in the foreground.
Members of Generation Z have given the brand their own spin, with the hashtag #LeCreuSlay often trending on the platform, despite overall declining sales.
Nick Ryder, CEO of the company based in Fresnoy-le-Grand, northern France, said in its latest annual report: “In the post-Covid world, with changing spending patterns and a backdrop of rising prices and rising interest rates, the market in which we operate has seen a decrease in spending.’