Spotted: Belfast’s Longest Queue Yet, and it Wasn’t at a Club
By Anya Saluja
As Sephora opened its first store in Northern Ireland, and its 13th in the UK, nearly 2,000 people spent their Thursday queueing to get their hands on Rhode. Seems like it’s 13 and thriving. The queue formed almost four hours before the 1pm opening, covering the whole of Victoria Square from the bottom rink to the top level and all the way out onto the street.
Now comes the question: how long are you willing to stand in a queue? Sephora may have just given Belfast its answer. Some sources claimed the line lasted over eight hours; that’s dedication. All that waiting for slips of 10% discounts, samples of Yellowman honeycomb, and the joy of the little dance routine they pulled out to inaugurate people’s bank accounts going into overdraft. That definitely made it worth it (not).
Although for many at the back, the performance was more of a rumour, something they later had to watch on social media despite the wait. Whether that was worth sacrificing half a day (and potentially half a student bank account) remains questionable.
Talking about social media, it played quite the role in queues like this. From Rhode’s iconic lip treatments to Haus Labs foundation, which unfortunately is not available in Boots. Sephora’s launch wasn’t entirely about the store itself, but about access to products only Sephora offers (even if they are technically available online).
Consumerism is another factor: monkey see, monkey want, and monkey waits in line (for nothing). Is it overrated? Yes. Do we still continue to follow blindly? Also yes.
Additionally, it’s not the first time this kind of hype has been spotted. Similar queues appeared when the LEGO Store opened its doors, with people lining up long before opening hours. This isn’t really about finally getting a product; e-commerce already made that possible. Now it feels more performative: going just to post about it (to get five likes) and to say you were part of something “bigger.”
Still, there’s a difference between doing it for the plot and losing an entire day to it. The idea of queuing for hours before a store opens, and hours after, might feel like a good idea in the moment, but in reality, it’s a significant trade-off. Time is valuable. So is money. And for students especially, exchanging half a bank account to find your next favourite lip gloss raises another question: at what point does the experience outweigh the expense?
Experience used to be associated with new, exciting things, like travelling or even trying out a new coffee shop. Since when has it turned into queuing up for hours?
If it weren’t for the online build-up, would there have been 2,000 people outside Victoria Square? Probably not. We’ve seen it before, whether it’s a limited edition Bear cup at Starbucks or an exclusive product that sells out within hours. They’re exciting at first, but is waking up early and spending more than planned really normal behaviour, or just the power of social media?
Sephora has been an amazing addition to Belfast, but think twice before going there for the first few weeks, because apparently the most wanted ticket isn’t a club wristband, but a 10% discount slip.
