Costco’s grand opening in China was cut short Tuesday when the mega retailer had to close its doors early after a massive mob of shoppers stormed the new store in Shanghai and created traffic jams in the surrounding neighborhood.
Video of the crowded store shows thousands of people packed into the aisles and signs outside warning potential shoppers they might have to wait three hours to park, according to Reuters.
"The store has been clogged up with crowds," Costco officials said in a text message alert to its members in China, CNN reported. "To provide you with better shopping experience, Costco will suspend business in the afternoon. Please don't come."
Police were called in to manage the huge crowds of both shoppers and traffic.
Shanghai’s state-run media reported that by midafternoon, the store was forced to close.
"Due to extremely large crowds at the newly opened supermarket, for the safety of the public, we urge that residents consume in a rational manner and choose to go shopping at an off-peak time," government officials said, according to Reuters.
Costco apologized for the chaos Wednesday and said it will limit the number of shoppers inside the store at any given time to 2,000, CNN reported.
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