The highly anticipated British chain Topshop/Topman made its New York debut yesterday. The excitement was palpable and the line of people waiting to actually spend money was literally wrapped around the block.

It may have been the six-month delayed opening, the free coffee distributed to the waiting hordes by neighboring store Madewell, the free samples of Pinkberry frozen yogurt, supermodel Kate Moss's appearance, or the week-long stint of guerilla marketing. Whatever the case, it brought excitement back to both the retail scene and into the cash registers!

Above: The Madewell coffee cart.

Above two photos: The Topshop line snakes past the front of Madewell on Broadway and around the corner.