Mobs massed, traffic queues clogged roads for miles on end amid hour-long waits and police had to be called to try to help keep the peace.
Yet this was not a high-tension football clash, pop concert nor political protest, but a marauding swarm for a sale by middle-class kitchenware favourite Le Creuset.
Hampshire Police were put on alert as hundreds of shoppers descended in four-hour queues attempting to snap up pots and pans from the French-Belgian firm.
Officers had to patrol the hordes gathering at a Hampshire retail estate after cut-price Le Creuset products were put up for offer, with lines of buyers snaking back for several miles.
Shoppers from across the UK flocked to the firm’s Andover warehouse sale over the weekend for deals of up to half price on casserole dishes, baking trays and crockery.
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Social media users have told of the hours-long queues for a Le Creuset sale
Lines of buyers gathered at a warehouse in Andover in Hampshire over the weekend
Shoppers were seen massing inside the Hampshire sale as Le Creuset prices were slashed
Kitchenware company Le Creuset offered up to half-price deals on its pots and pans
The deals were put in place from 9am on Saturday and 8am the following day.
And such was the popularity – and traffic congestion – that Hampshire Police had to attend to help control and manage the flow.
People there told of how queues to get in dragged on for as long as four hours, with customers getting out of their vehicles and standing on the pavement outside the HQ.
Many people who did finally make it in later posted on social media including TikTok about their purchases, including wine glasses, mugs, dishes and bowls.
Hampshire Police told the Telegraph: ‘We attended London Road and the A3093 in Andover Saturday morning 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.’
Le Creuset had advertised the Andover weekend in advance as its ‘largest in-person event’, unticketed and ‘first-come-first-served’
The company told potential consumers: ‘Attendees can shop a selection of premium cookware, including limited-edition colours, rare shapes and other unique styles at special prices.’
Classic kitchenware brands such as not only Le Creuset but also Smeg and KitchenAid have appeared newly popular with Gen Z in recent months.
Users on TikTok have rushed to show off their sparkling branded appliances in their kitchens at home in the unlikely fashion trend, while the hashtag #dutchovens has more than 320million views on the social media platform.
Others have shared clips of searching for Le Creuset ‘bargains’ in discount outlets such as TK Maxx and the Bicester Village outlet in Oxfordshire.
Analysts have highlighted the apparent appeal when it comes to sustainability, durability, a sense of nostalgia and vintage vibes.
Premium French cookware brand Le Creuset has been selling pricey pots and pans since 1925 in various colours – but is best known for its classic orange.
YouTuber Emily Canham from Northamptonshire posted a TikTok video of herself cooking dinner – with her cast iron shell pink casserole dish (costing £255) at the forefront
Home decor account @at.home.with.missb showed off their £134 cream Smeg kettle
The brand last year reported a 20 per cent dip in sales, yet has also been noted for attracting more than 260,000 followers on TikTok.
Recent launches have included pastel colour collections, casserole dishes embellished with a petal design, a heart-shaped Valentines collection and small bowls in the shape of fruits and pumpkins.
The kitchenware has become beloved of UK influencers such as YouTuber Emily Canham from Northamptonshire, who posted a TikTok video of herself cooking dinner – with her cast iron shell pink casserole dish, priced £255, at the forefront.
Gen Z-ers have given the brand their own twist, with the hashtag #LeCreuSlay often trending on the platform – despite the overall slide in sales.
Nick Ryder, managing director of the company based in Fresnoy-le-Grand in northern France, said in its latest annual report: ‘In the post-Covid world, with changing spending patterns and a backdrop of increasing prices and interest rates, the market we operate in has seen a decrease in spend.’