Inside Beguile’s First Abuja Pop-Up, ‘Summer Has a Scent’

I’ll be honest; when someone told me people had been standing in the rain just to buy perfume, I assumed they were exaggerating. Then I started hearing what actually happened in Maitama.

Before the event even officially opened, there was already a queue outside Sarius Palmetum. By the time the doors opened, the shopping had started, and from then until evening, the crowd barely slowed down. Now here’s where it gets interesting.

One person even arrived a full day early after mixing up the dates. Imagine getting dressed, showing up excited, and discovering the event wasn’t until tomorrow. Most people would have gone home embarrassed. This one simply came back the next day.
Another attendee reportedly flew into Abuja just for the event.

This was Summer Has a Scent, the first Abuja pop-up from a Luxury fragrance brand called Beguile.

At some point in the afternoon, the rain started. The kind of rain that normally sends people running to their cars, instead, the queue stayed. People kept shopping.

“I’ve waited too long to smell these perfumes in person. Rain isn’t sending me home,” one attendee joked while waiting for her turn. If anything, the rain just became part of the day’s memories.

Nearly 300 people turned up, and judging by the bags leaving the venue, plenty had no intention of going home with just one bottle.

One shopper laughed while holding several fragrances and admitted the plan she walked in with had changed.

“My plan was to buy one. I don’t know how I ended up with six,” she said.

By late afternoon, Mystique,  Goddess had all sold out, leaving more than a few shoppers asking if there was anything left in stock.

One of the sweetest moments came after mystique disappeared from the shelves. A customer noticed the team holding an unboxed bottle and politely…