Store opening in São Paulo causes crowd crush; police close street

A discount store opening in the Brás neighbourhood of central São Paulo drew hundreds of customers on Monday morning (October 5, 2026), leading to crowd congestion, street closures, and the suspension of the inauguration. The store, identified as Shopping Sheik Brás, advertised products priced between R$ 1 and R$ 20, including cosmetics, appliances, televisions, and fans.

Customers began queuing from as early as Saturday evening, with some reporting they camped overnight on Rua Monsenhor de Andrade to secure their place. By 7:20 a.m. Monday, the crowd had extended to Avenida do Estado. Eyewitness accounts described extreme congestion, with people fainting and falling during the crush. Some customers reported difficulty leaving the area due to the density of the crowd, while incidents of store looting and altercations were reported. One store employee nearby said store doors were briefly opened before being closed, angering those still waiting in line.

Police and traffic authorities responded by blocking Rua Monsenhor de Andrade and Rua Henrique Dias to vehicle traffic around 10:30 a.m., rerouting six municipal bus lines. By approximately 12:20 p.m., authorities directed the store to close permanently for the day, citing public safety concerns. The store owner was taken to the 12th Police District for questioning. Street access was restored by 2:30 p.m.

In a video statement posted on Instagram the following day, the store's owner—identified as "Sheik do Preço Único"—apologized to customers and explained that the operation had been planned to accommodate 500 people in an orderly manner. He stated that the promotion format offering products at R$ 1 to R$ 20 would not be repeated, after police removed promotional stock and prohibited similar events. The owner indicated intentions to reorganize a future opening and compensate customers who had waited, though no new date has been set. The Prefeitura confirmed the store's documentation was in order.