Swatch closes Liverpool Shop and Manchester stores for second day

Swatch closed its Liverpool shop and its Manchester store for a second day after queues built up again for the £335 Royal Pop pocket watch. The company had already shut stores in several cities on Saturday after crowds formed around the launch.

Liverpool ONE crowd

A crowd of several hundred gathered outside Swatch’s branch in the Liverpool ONE complex on Saturday, and police were called after reports of people making threats outside the Liverpool store. Swatch also said one man was arrested in Cardiff on the same day.

Royal Pop launch

Swatch launched the Royal Pop pocket watch collaboration with Audemars Piguet at selected stores worldwide on Saturday. It said the watches had been resold online for up to £16,000, while also telling shoppers not to rush to its stores in large numbers.

“To ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we kindly ask you not to rush to our stores in large numbers to acquire this product,” Swatch said in an online statement. It added: “In some countries, queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted, and sales may need to be paused.”

Swatch city closures

Swatch first closed shops in Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Cardiff and London on Saturday because of safety considerations. It also said an event was cancelled in Dubai, police officers were called to launches in France and Switzerland, and shoppers camped for a week in Times Square in New York.

The stores in Liverpool and Manchester remained closed as the queues returned, leaving the launch paused in two of the cities where demand had already forced the company to stop sales once before.