Earlier this week, I had the chance to attend the H&M VIP Pre-Opening Party to shop and welcome it’s ever store to Ottawa at Bayshore Shopping Centre. Among a list of 600 other fellow invitees, we were given a chance to pre-shop the store before it’s official grand opening on the 17th of October. With a whopping floor plan of 23, 000 square feet, the store includes fashion ranges for men, women and children.
While the event was scheduled to start at 7:00 PM, a line-up quickly queued up at around 6:30 PM. Even though the line up multiplied by the minute, everyone was quickly ushered in and we weren’t left waiting for too long. Each guest got a quick chance at a photo-op by the lounging area and then proceeded to enter the every elusive store.
Photo courtesy of ZOI Agency 
Not only we were greeted with flutes of champagne, but h’or d’oeuvres were served as we browsed the racks upon racks of clothes. And this was not a quiet affair. The electric pop group, Oh Land, provided us with a live performance for a majority of the night and kept us all entertained while we lounged, socialized and shopped. A shopaholic’s dream come true!
Because we were graciously provided with a 25% off discount for the night, I couldn’t help but pick up a couple pieces for myself. I’m such a sweater addict that out of the ten items I chose, nine turned out to be a knit of some sort. We were also allowed to bring a plus one to the event, so of course I brought along the mister, who is also a loyal H&M fan.
Shopping complete, we lounged around by the couches and socialized with other shoppers and fashionable personalities. We got in a few photos of the festivities and then were handed some great swag bags as we left.
What did we end up getting? That will be revealed in the next few days! We’re currently out of town, vacationing in Toronto, so I didn’t quite get a chance to snap any photos of our purchases, but I can say that I was very satisfied with my loot. I’m even more satisfied to say that I now no longer need to save up to shop in Toronto (even though I’m here as we speak).
