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Waterstones issued an apology following complaints from attendees who described a recent event at its flagship shop as “utter chaos” and dangerously overcrowded. The booklovers gathered at the annual BookFest event voiced concerns about disorganization and potential safety hazards, with some social media users humorously claiming they had “survived” the ordeal while others compared it to “hell on earth.” Videos shared online depicted massive crowds inside the Piccadilly store in central London, with lengthy queues snaking through the building and spilling onto the street.
Kellie Greenhalgh recounted her experience of arriving at the bustling shop for the event, noting the absence of staff members to provide guidance or assistance despite the large influx of attendees. She described waiting for over an hour in crowded queues, feeling unwell from the heat and stress, and witnessing an author suffer a panic attack and leave. Another attendee, who relied on crutches, shared her distress at being jostled by the throng of people while attempting to have a book signed, resulting in her being knocked over twice due to the overcrowding.
Attendees expressed frustration at the lack of crowd control and the haphazard planning of the event, which they felt could have been mitigated by implementing a full ticketing system. Hanna, who valued such events as a means of connecting with others, particularly highlighted the impact on disabled booklovers. The impracticality of navigating through the jam-packed shop, coupled with the unbearable heat generated by the sheer volume of people, further exacerbated the attendees’ grievances. Waterstones responded by acknowledging the unexpectedly high turnout that contributed to the long queues and crowding, pledging to incorporate lessons learned from this incident to enhance future events.
In a statement released to the public and further reinforced in communications with the BBC, Waterstones assured that both the central events team and shop staff were present throughout the premises to prioritize customer safety. Despite recognizing the discomfort experienced by some visitors due to the event’s unprecedented busyness, the bookseller reiterated its commitment to conducting safer and more organized gatherings in the future
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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