StreetX ‘robbed’: Perth streetwear store stages free frenzy on Boxing Day

As Australia’s big-name retailers promised shoppers mega Boxing Day deals, Perth streetwear store StreetX gave away hundreds of T-shirts.

The homegrown label’s founder Daniel Bradshaw, who is known to stage epic marketing campaigns, had told his following to “rob” his stores in the lead-up to the day.

He attracted hundreds to Thursday’s event.

The first arrived at 11pm on Christmas night for a 9am Boxing Day start.

Video of the mad dash showed, mostly young male, customers pouring into a pop-up store along Perth CBD’s Shafto Lane.

“We wanted to give our customers something fun. We made the entire store free. There were 400 items to ‘steal’,” he said.

“It was gone in 30 seconds. It was crazy. Just a stampede of people.”

After concern from a city ranger and police during last year’s Boxing Day campaign and while filming the promo of a mock robbery, Mr Bradshaw said the team took a more conscious approach this year.

“We always do a Boxing Day sale. Last year, we did a give-away out the back of a truck. This year we wanted something that ideally wouldn’t get us in trouble,” he said.

“Cops came today and they were fine with it. Touch wood no one got injured.”

And despite the shoulder-to-shoulder chaos of customers pushing passed each other, there were control measures in place.

“We made sure we picked a shop with lots of space. It was a secluded section of the CBD too,” he said.

“We let kids and parents in first. Once they moved out, we let the young guys in.”

For those who left empty handed, some free shirts and store vouchers were handed out alongside sale items that could be bought.

He said the team had a “run and gun” approach and pulled together the marketing concept in a couple of weeks.

“I haven’t seen anything like that in Australia before,” he said.