Hundreds of eager shoppers flocked to Fortnum & Mason on Saturday for discounted products before the British luxury department store closes, with staff stopping the queue two hours after opening.
By 2pm, the Post observed a queue of around 100 people stretching along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Staff began turning customers away from 1pm, advising them to check the shop’s social media platforms for the latest updates.
Known in Britain as the “King’s grocer”, Fortnum & Mason announced on Friday that it would close its Hong Kong store on January 26. It made waves in 2019 when it chose the city for its first stand-alone shop in Asia since the closure of its overseas outlet in Dubai in 2017.
Hongkonger Alvin Chan arrived at 11am with his wife, hoping to buy tea and biscuits as Lunar New Year gifts for family and friends. The couple queued for two hours before making it inside.
“We got here a bit late, a lot of the tea bags were gone,” said the logistics professional in his thirties, who spent about HK$2,500 (US$321) on items including Countess Grey loose tea leaves, stem ginger biscuits and prosecco.
“There were discounts upon discounts. The brand’s own sparkling tea was a steal at just over HK$100. Our bags are now very heavy. It was very orderly in the shop, and wasn’t chaotic at all.”
The couple shared their shopping strategy, explaining that staff had at one point said it could take up to three hours to queue to pay. Chan joined the line soon after they got in, while his wife brought him the products. It eventually took about an hour for them to pay.
