The Isle of Wight’s first Pandora store opened its doors this week, just as the Christmas rush begins with less than 4 weeks now until the big day.
The store’s arrival had been highly anticipated by the islanders for some time and in order to celebrate the grand opening, the store offered the first 50 customers to spend over £75, one of their iconic silver charm bracelets for free – an offer which was too good to resist for many Pandora fans on the island.
In particular, dedicated mother and daughter duo, Yvonne Mathews and Dawn Dillon (pictured left) were camped outside the store from midnight, determined to be the first customers to enter the store. Armed with a picnic, chairs, warm clothing and of course, their smiles, the pair waited for almost 10 hours in high spirits.
Though Yvonne and Dawn were by far the earliest to eagerly await the store’s opening, by 06:00 more Pandora fans began to arrive and before long, a queue had formed and was stretched all the way to the end of the street.
Inside the store, last minute preparations were made by the Pandora Isle of Wight team – formed of all island girls, enthusiastic to start the day, the sheer amount of customers waiting outside added to the overall excitement, for whom a few this is their first job in retail.
The iconic, pink Pandora ribbon was cut and store opened its doors. Every single one of the girls, including Store Manger Jess Carter, greeted the customers with a smile; eager to offer help and guidance to anyone looking for the perfect gift.
