By Chandler Helms
Crammed between a mob of people and the east outside wall of NorthPark Center, it’s easy to wonder if the Balmain x H&M sale is really worth it.
It’s 5:35 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, and people are doing anything they can to get closer to the door. One girl even passes out, but after security confirms she is unharmed, she decides to stay and keep her spot in the crowd. As people begin describing Kendall Jenner’s embellished blazer, all doubts begin to fade away. The need to be here is too strong.
(Photo by Chandler Helms)
Once an H&M employee takes control around 5:50 a.m., the mob-complex disappears and the anxious customers are ordered into a single file line. When the mall opens at 6 a.m., groups of 10 are led inside and given wristbands printed with times: 8:25-8:40 a.m., 8:40-8:55 a.m., etc. During these 15-minute intervals, each group is allowed to shop the 101-piece collection.
Inside the mall, the mood is calm. Most people use the next two hours to nap or to look at the collection online and finalize their decisions.
The long line seems to stretch on forever, and the number of people present is shocking. The Dallas Morning News would later report that there were several hundred people, and some did not have time slots until noon. Unfortunately, the collection sold out after only two hours and 23 minutes.
(Photo by Chandler Helms)
At the front of the line, it seems that about 75 percent of the people there are male. SMU’s Retail Club takes this as a good sign because that means a good selection of the women’s collection should still be available during their time slot.
They are wrong.
When the first group of 30 shoppers begin, people are pulling items from the men’s and women’s side like crazy. Some groups even work in teams, taking one of every item to the register. Unsurprisingly, some of the Balmain x H&M items are already pre-selling on eBay for $1,200.
Luckily, H&M is prepared for the madness. After the first group finishes its 15 minutes of shopping, a team of seven H&M employees restock sizes on any empty racks. Soon after, the next group scurries in to shop. Thankfully, the experience at NorthPark’s H&M is nothing like some of the stores seen on Instagram.
Here, kind customers actually help other shoppers find their dream clothes during all the commotion.
Blame it on southern hospitality, or maybe smaller population size, but Dallas was definitely the place to shop the Balmain x H&M sale.
