Hundreds of Londoners queued for hours outside corner shops on Wednesday to purchase the final stocks of solar eclipse glasses ahead of a rare partial eclipse expected to peak at 7:12 p.m. local time. The glasses, designed to safely view the event, were sold out at major retailers days in advance, leaving consumers scrambling to corner stores rumored to have remaining supplies.
Two London stores became focal points of the last-minute rush: a convenience store in Aldgate, where a line of hundreds snaked through the street by mid-afternoon, and a shop on Bond Street, where shoppers waited 10 to 15 minutes to purchase glasses at £17.97 for three pairs. Reports indicated some stores limited purchases to five pairs per customer at £9.99 each, with one delivery of 10,000 pairs allegedly arriving at a Whitechapel shop mid-morning.
The eclipse, expected to obscure more than 90% of the sun over the UK, has drawn widespread attention amid a week of extreme heat and political transitions. Experts reiterated warnings that ordinary sunglasses are unsafe for direct viewing, fueling demand for certified eyewear. Social media videos showed queues stretching hundreds of meters, including families, cyclists, and individuals carrying luggage, with some waiting over three hours in temperatures reaching 91°F (33°C).
Retailers and suppliers struggled to meet demand. Major online platforms like Amazon had sold out of eclipse glasses by early in the week, and high-street opticians, supermarkets, and museums reported complete depletion of stock. The AM2PM Convenience Store in Aldgate, which had become a viral hub for the remaining supplies, closed its shutters by 3:30 p.m. as lines persisted outside.
For those unable to secure glasses, alternatives emerged, including pinhole projectors and colanders, though experts emphasized these methods provide indirect viewing only and do not protect against eye damage from prolonged exposure. The event marks the UK’s most significant partial eclipse since 1999, with visibility expected to peak just before sunset.