Hundreds of people wait in the cold

People stand for hours in the freezing cold just to buy Lindt chocolate for 15 euros. Some people want to profit from it, but many people come away empty-handed.

Yannick von Eisenhardt Rotter/t-online

An older man shook his head and stopped to look at the line about 100 meters long in a Berlin shopping mall. “He asked what was going on?” His understanding did not grow when he spotted people queuing up to buy a 15-euro bar of chocolate. “Are there any diamonds in there?”

No, there are no diamonds in Lindt's Dubai chocolate, but pistachios and kadayif (i.e. baked dough). There has been a lot of hype surrounding the pricey candy on social media in recent months. Swiss chocolatier Lindt is now selling its version in a strictly limited edition for the first time. There should be 1000 pieces in total, 100 pieces will be sold in Berlin this morning. The quantity was too small to feed everyone in line.

Berlin shopping mall queues: Many people who waited ended up leaving empty-handed.Image: Yannick von Eisenhardt Rotter

Anyone wanting to buy a bar had to wait in front of the store for several hours in temperatures of about three degrees until the sale started at 10am. Students Darius and Dominic had been waiting for two and a half hours, and now they were standing at the door of the store holding chocolates. The pair said they hope to benefit from the hype. You may have seen these motherboards selling for over 200 euros on online sales platforms. Now they also want to sell their motherboards.

Blackboard deals online for up to €400

They hope to earn between 250 and 300 euros each. If you look at a well-known sales platform, you will know that they are not the only ones with this idea. At noon, some of the bars sold in Berlin are on sale here, with prices ranging from 120 to 400 euros. Whether anyone will actually pay the price remains to be seen.

Wine expert Natasha didn’t buy her table for private enjoyment either. It offers wine pairings, which are the combinations of foods such as cheese or chocolate with a suitable wine. “I want to be the first to do this with Dubai chocolate,” she said. To do this, she stood in front of the store at 7:15 in the morning.

Ellie bought chocolates for her son. But the first taste didn't quite convince her.Image: Yannick von Eisenhardt Rotter

But there are also people who buy chocolate privately. “I line up for my son so he doesn't skip school,” Eli said with a loud laugh. “You're kidding, he'll be dead if you don't let him do this.” The eighth grader loves chocolate. “We know the Dubai original because we love traveling there,” she said. Her first taste of Lindt's version didn't convince her. The original version is thicker and creamier, she said. Lindt’s is crispier. “I prefer the softer ones,” Elie said.

criticism of the organization

As of 11:30 a.m., the 100 gold bars were sold out. Employees handed out discount coupons to empty-handed waiters. They can also register on the waiting list for online chocolate sales in Dubai.

Elif was one of the first to return empty-handed. “I'm very disappointed. I waited for two and a half hours and got nothing,” she said. She criticized the organization of the event. «I thought at 10am the first 100 people would get chocolates. But it all took a long time. “

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