H&M wanted to do something special for the grand opening of their new store on Woodward Avenue, according to Patrick Shaner, a spokesperson for the company.
He said once H&M announced its Detroit location, they could tell there was excitement within the city. What they did next built even more anticipation than the giant sign hanging from the window for months.
“The first 500 people in line receive an H&M ‘Access to Fashion Pass’ with a mystery value anywhere between $10 and $500. Everyone in line after the first 500 shoppers will receive a $10 card,” according to an article on MLive.
The event leveraged marketing psychology like scarcity and competition to build hype. And it worked.
Hundreds of shoppers stood in line for the chance to win $500. People started filing outside H&M’s doors for the noon opening around 5 a.m.
The first person in line even made special accommodations for the chance to win money for a new wardrobe: “I manage a hair salon so I’d usually be there, but I got someone to take my shift,” Phillip Meyer said.
Some said they passed the location decorated in H&M signage for weeks, which made them want to come to the grand opening on Thursday, November 21. Others said it was just a fun event to get them out of the house and deviating from their usual routine. But everyone agreed they loved H&M’s brand.
