Melbourne people queue to nab Dyson hairdryers and flights at Virgin 1 Point Rewards Initiative

Bargain hunters queue for hours to nab Dyson hairdryers, Apple products and flights at Australia’s ‘cheapest store’

  • Virgin’s 1 point club opened today in Melbourne
  • The 24 hour pop-up store attracted thousands
  • Shoppers bought luxe items for one Velocity point 
  • Matt, 32, was the first in line and grabbed a Dyson

Thousands queued for entire city blocks in the early hours of the morning for their chance to cash in on the opening of the cheapest store in Australia.

Virgin’s 1 Point Club offered Melbourne residents an opportunity to spend a single Velocity reward point in exchange for luxe products worth hundreds of dollars on Saturday.

The 24 hour pop-up store on Chapel Street saw keen shoppers lining up for more than four blocks by the time the opening ribbon was cut and the doors opened.

Matt, 32, was first in line with his dog at 10pm Friday night after promising his mum that he’d pick her up a Dyson Supersonic HD07 V3 Hair Dryer valued at $649.

Within the store’s first four hours more than 1,000 people had come to exchange their reward point for products from notable brands including Apple, Bose, Weber, and Breville, among others. 

Virgin’s 1 point club offered Melbourne resident an opportunity to cash in a single Velocity reward point in exchange for luxe products worth hundreds of dollars a piece on Saturday

Matt, 32, was first in line with his dog at 10pm Friday night after promising his mum that he'd pick her up a Dyson Supersonic HD07 V3 Hair Dryer valued at $649

Matt, 32, was first in line with his dog at 10pm Friday night after promising his mum that he’d pick her up a Dyson Supersonic HD07 V3 Hair Dryer valued at $649

Matt said that he’d promised his mum that he would pick up the hairdryer months ago after she said she wanted one but wasn’t keen on spending so much money on the product. 

Most other big ticket items had sold out within two hours and by 1pm all that remained were one-way economy flights to cities around Australia.

Hundreds of people were seen queuing up as the doors opened and stock began selling out. 

The most popular items were from Dyson, according to Virgin employees who were at the store to welcome the crowds. 

Although the store was intended to remain open for the full 24 hours, it is unlikely to do so as stock continues to run out fast. 

The pop-up store was opened in celebration of the Velocity 1 Point Rewards Initiative which will launch on Sunday, June 11. 

New 1 Point rewards will drop every week and will allow members to shop international flights, gadgets and more for only one point each. 

The most popular items were from Dyson according to Virgin employees who were at the store to welcome the crowds

The most popular items were from Dyson according to Virgin employees who were at the store to welcome the crowds 

The 24 hour pop-up store on Chapel Street saw keen shoppers lining up more than four blocks by the time the opening ribbon was cut and the doors opened

The 24 hour pop-up store on Chapel Street saw keen shoppers lining up more than four blocks by the time the opening ribbon was cut and the doors opened

While the initiative seemed too good to be true, Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO, Nick Rohrlach, assured bargain hunters beforehand that there was no catch. 

‘I expect Saturday to be a scene from the Black Friday sales, with hordes of shoppers trying to nab a Dyson hair dryer or Apple Watch for just 1 Velocity Point. It really is something to be seen to be believed,’ Mr Rohrlach said on Friday. 

‘Most people I’ve spoken to have said the initiative is too good to be true, but I assure you we are serious about fast rewards, and this initiative is a testament to that.

‘We know it’s hard to believe that a member can go on a holiday for just 1 Velocity Point or purchase a Dyson hairdryer for the equivalent of a $2 purchase at Coles, but this is the beauty of our 1 Point Rewards initiative and it’s fantastic to be able to launch it in Melbourne.’

What was up for grabs at Virgin’s Velocity Frequent Flyer 1 Point Rewards store? 

Virgin Australia one-way Economy flights to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Brisbane, Hobart, Launceston, Sydney and Adelaide

Dyson – Supersonic HD07 V3 Hair Dryer – valued at $649

Dyson Vacuum cleaner (v8) cord free – valued at $719

Smeg 50s Style Toaster – valued at $219

Apple Watch – valued at $399

Weber Baby Q – valued at $389

Chasseau 30cm round firm casserole (Cherry Blossom) – Valued at $320

Breville Barista Coffee Machine ‘Chrome’ – valued at $779

GHD Unplugged Hair Straightener – valued at $500

Apple Air Pods 3rd Generation – valued at $249

Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth Speaker – valued at $175

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