Swatch Boss Dismisses UK Store Chaos as Mere 'Enthusiasm'
Trafford Centre store to reopen today after three-day closure following violent scenes that saw police called to shopping centres across Britain
Trafford Centre Set to Reopen After Disorder
The billionaire boss of Swatch has provoked outrage by dismissing violent crowd scenes at stores across Britain as mere "enthusiasm," as he confirmed the Trafford Centre branch will reopen today following a three-day shutdown.
Nick Hayek, chief executive of the Swiss watch empire, was forced onto the defensive after chaotic and violent scenes erupted at the launch of the brand's new Royal Pop Collection on Saturday. Police were called to multiple UK locations, including the Trafford Centre, Liverpool One, and stores in London, as crowds descended into disorder.
The Trafford Centre shop has remained closed since Saturday morning, but Mr Hayek insisted it would open its doors again today.
Swiss Chief Compares Disorder to British Football
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hayek appeared remarkably relaxed about the breakdown of order. He told the BBC host, based in Salford Quays: "You are from a city, Manchester, where they have football games, you have to do [this] every time when there is a game, there is passion, there is emotion, these things are happening."
The comparison drew a sharp rebuke from the BBC's Sean Farrington, who pointed out that football matches are "intricately planned" with "huge collaboration between those major clubs," suggesting Swatch had failed to go to similar lengths.
Mr Hayek conceded the point but appeared to lay blame at the feet of the British public, saying: "When you have thousands of people coming you have also sometimes elements that are not well educated to make the queue how they should do it."
Ten Per Cent of Stores Hit by Overcrowding
The Swatch chief sought to play down the scale of the disruption, claiming that only 20 out of 220 stores experienced what he described as "overcrowding like hell." He said the remainder had gone smoothly.
"It's about 10 per cent of our stores that had certain issues," he said. "The rest went smooth because the people are passionate and that's what is happening."
He added: "This should be a positive message and having crowds at the beginning of the launch of a product should not be bad news, it should be something that is good news."
No Criticism for Resellers Inflating Prices
The £335 timepiece, a collaboration between Swatch and Swiss luxury brand Audemars Piguet, has already attracted "flippers" seeking to resell at inflated prices. But Mr Hayek refused to condemn the practice.
"If somebody thinks instead of keeping it for his passion, he is reselling it, this is happening in the luxury market all the time," he said. "If there is coming a brand like Swatch in the entry segment that makes a fantastic product and people want to come to populate business with it, I am not criticising it."
He also declined to criticise the authorities who were left to manage the chaos, saying only that "sometimes you cannot control everything" in "extraordinary" situations.
Trafford Centre Had Pulled Product from Sale
The Trafford Centre had previously issued a firm statement on Monday, saying: "Swatch Trafford Centre will not be selling this product until further notice. Please visit Swatch's website for more information."
It remains unclear what security arrangements have been put in place for today's reopening. The centre has been approached for an updated comment.
The scenes at the weekend will raise fresh questions about whether retailers are doing enough to plan for major product launches, and whether British shopping centres are being left to pick up the pieces when corporate ambition outstrips common sense.