After snagging VIP tickets and sitting front row of their concert, watching them during soundcheck, being able to ask them a question, and basking in their good looks on May 31, it was pretty much mandatory that I paid a visit to their first North American pop-up shop. So today I did just that.
We arrived at the store before it even opened, and there was already a line-up of a dozen or so people waiting. Seeing how most of those in the line were tweens and teens, my and my friend walked past muttering, “oh wow they have a one direction store?!” testing out our acting abilities, then went to Subway to grab a snack awaiting the store’s 10am opening.
We left our maturity at the doors, and walked into every directioner’s heaven. The live tour DVD was playing on a large flat screen at the back of the store, the current song “One Thing” blasted through large speakers so loud you had to sort of yell when talking. Poster’s so huge you can’t even purchase them in stores surrounded the walls, and red and white was the expected colour scheme.
They had One Direction themed everything–from posters, to t-shirts, to notebooks, calenders, keychains and even a 1D compact mirror were sold for might I add, kind of expensive prices (seeing how HMV and even my store Urban Planet has most items for at least $5-10 less than the 1D World store price).
But for those who had the money–or the parents with the money, or the parents who loved them enough, or the parents who wanted to avoid a screaming tantrum throwing child–it was a place for the ultimate One Direction shopping spree.
And for those like me, who at my age can only be seen owning so much One Direction merchandise without being thrown into a rehab centre and is also a broke college kid, it was still a trip worth making, just for the experience and the sight of it all. I did buy the $30 t-shirt with the boys outlined in blue and song lyrics, while my friend got the tour dvd special which came with a pack of 5 mini posters for $40.
The store only comes to a city once (as far as I know), and it’s going to be cool that in ten years I’ll be able to look back on my visit to the first North American 1D store in Toronto. At least I hope it’ll be cool.
If the 1D World Store comes to your city, and you like the band, then go ahead and drop on in!