Shopping madness: Surreal scenes as customers swarm Glassons store opening

News
World

Author: Jack Marshall,
Publish Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2026, 12:20pm

The opening of a Glassons store in Sydney descended into chaos as crowds surged through a shopping centre chasing vouchers and giveaway packs, with reports people were injured in the rush.

According to social media accounts, some shoppers arrived hours before opening, hoping to be first in line for the freebies for the first customers through the doors.

Social media footage showed large crowds gathering outside the shopping centre in the early morning darkness.

One TikTok user documented the entire experience, saying she arrived before 5am and joined dozens waiting. She said a system was set up by those in the queue to number shoppers by arrival time, after security stopped customers from waiting inside the centre.

A Sydney Glassons store opening descended into chaos as shoppers sprinted through a shopping centre chasing vouchers and giveaways, with attendees alleging people were injured in the rush. Photo / Tiana Noy

The situation changed soon after 6am as more people arrived to enter. When security opened the doors, the informal queuing system collapsed and crowds began a chaotic rush inside the mall.

The TikTok user alleged people were pushed from behind as shoppers scrambled towards the store.

Videos shared online showed large groups running through the mall and up escalators, with a person in the video claiming attendees fell, lost shoes and suffered injuries during the rush.

@holli.p0p UPDATE IN THE COMMENTS! @Glassons I WANT TO SEE YOU TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THIS POORLY MANAGED EVENT! This was the Glassons Miranda Westfield opening, and this is what actually happened with timestamps. There was not a single Glassons staff member managing the queue when the first major issues happened, leaving the poor Westfield security and us to try to organise hundreds of angry people. Everyone was confused about where to line up, people pushed their way ahead, and multiple people were injured/assaulted in the chaos. The first 20 people were only able to establish somewhat of an order because I, just a girl waiting in line, decided to number everyone based on when they arrived. I genuinely feel for the Westfield security and Glassons staff who were in this mess, but this was an event organised by a major retailer, and customers shouldn’t have had to organise themselves. This isn’t about how many people showed up. Westfield has successfully managed other major openings with large crowds before, such as the @sephora Miranda Opening. Glassons needs to take accountability for how this event was planned and managed. Here is the entire morning, with timestamps, so you can see for yourself what happened. Feel FREE, to reach out to me for more info. I would love to see you take accountability for this mess! @Westfield Part 2 coming soon. #glasson #mirandawestfield #glassonsmiranda #westfield ♬ original sound - ⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆

“There should be police here,” she said in her video.

“All these teenage girls that want free s***.”

Another attendee said someone may have broken a wrist and one shopper who had recently undergone spinal surgery was pushed over, News.com.au reported.

Those claims have not been independently verified.

The Herald has approached Glassons for comment.

The rush was fuelled by a series of giveaways. Glassons advertised A$400 ($482) vouchers for the first 20 customers in line, while the first 150 shoppers could receive gift boxes. Images from inside the store showed displays featuring flowers, branded bags and complimentary drinks, News.com.au reported.

The social media reaction was divided.

Some users questioned why people would queue from the early hours for a retail opening.

However, many who attended described the experience as unsafe.

“The most chaotic experience ever,” another attendee commented, claiming she was shoved into a wall as people pushed and yelled around her. Another said she left because she feared being injured.

Commenters struggled to understand the frenzy, with one person writing, “All this for polyester.”

Some commenters focused on crowd management, with one suggesting, “Surely there should’ve been wrist bands or something to avoid all the arguing that happened.”

“There’s Glassons everywhere, what’s so special about this grand opening at Miranda,” another wrote.