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Girls line up for 16 hours to be at front of 800-strong queue for H&M store in Christchurch

Friday, 8 September 2017

More than 800 people lined up to get their first glimpse of H&M
More than 800 people lined up to get their first glimpse of H&M's new Christchurch store, which opened on Cashel St at 10am on Saturday.

A 'cold and bored' group of girls were rewarded with 'high fashion at better prices' when the doors to Christchurch's newest large-scale fashion store opened on Saturday.

The group of more than a dozen teenagers were at the front of an 800-strong queue outside the doors of the Cashel St store, with two arriving about 5.30pm on Friday – more than 16 hours before the South Island's first store of its kind opened at 10am.

Mickayla Lynn (right) and Casey Hunter were first in line, arriving around 5:30pm. They said their night on the street was
Mickayla Lynn (right) and Casey Hunter were first in line, arriving around 5:30pm. They said their night on the street was 'cold and boring', but worth it to be first in the door.

Mickayla​ Lynn and Casey Hunter, both 17, were first to arrive on Friday and said their night on the street was 'cold and boring', but 'worth it'.

'It was kind of entertaining for a while, chatting to people and we were on our phones, listening to music, then it got really boring around 2am,' Hunter said.

A group of more than a dozen girls were on the street from 5.30pm on Friday – more than 16 hours before the store opened on Saturday.
A group of more than a dozen girls were on the street from 5.30pm on Friday – more than 16 hours before the store opened on Saturday.

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From left: Charlotte Kemp, Paige Hazeldine, Tyla Henry, Claudia Gale, and Trilly Stewart.
From left: Charlotte Kemp, Paige Hazeldine, Tyla Henry, Claudia Gale, and Trilly Stewart.

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'Yeah, it was absolutely freezing, I actually considered going home at about 5am,' Lynn said.

They were looking forward to 'buying new clothes – they are so beautiful'.

'It's like high fashion but at better prices, they are really nice,' Lynn said.

Hunter said she had missed being in line for the opening of Mecca Maxima in November last year, and the store ran out of makeup.

Tyla Henry, Claudia Gale, Paige Hazeldine, Charlotte Kemp and Trilly Stewart arrived around 10pm.

'We haven't had an H&M in Christchurch for a long time,' said Gale.

'Forever, actually,' added Stewart.

The group said they weren't worried about the long, cold night.

'We've got blankets, so we're good,' said Hazeldine.