With over 5,000 brands to choose from Harrods is a department store renowned worldwide for quality, with an interior design and architecture worth a visit in itself.
Highlights
- Travel around the store on the Egyptian escalator, providing visual delights wherever you look.
- Head to the famed Harrods toy department, stocked with an incredible array of toys for all ages
- Keep your eyes peeled for a bit of celeb spotting as this prestigious department store is often frequented by the rich and famous.
What to See and Do
Superbrands Department
Harrods has in excess of 300 departments to satisfy all your shopping needs and tastes. The superbrands department located on the first floor perfectly illustrates the calibre of the products and brands stocked by Harrods. You will find Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Stella McCartney and many more of the world’s most prestigious brands.
Food Hall
The beautifully designed food halls are another famed section of Harrods department store. Luxury food and drink producers from across the world can be found here, including the iconic Harrods hamper. Located on the ground floor there are sections specialising in tea, coffee and chocolate, as well as a bakery and patisserie, plus sections for meat, fish and seasonal vegetables. Take a trip down to the lower ground floor where you will find over 1,400 wines and 400 varieties of spirit.
Salon du Parfums
If you head up to the sixth floor you will find the Salon du Parfums where you have the chance to experience some of the world’s finest fragrances. Harrods employs a team of perfume experts who can help you discover new and niche fragrances from a collection of hand-selected brands. Access to this level of expertise is a rare opportunity and a perfect chance to spoil yourself with a little luxury.
Fine Jewellery
The ground floor at Harrods stocks an impressive collection of fine jewellery and watches from the world’s leading brands. You will find Tiffany & Co, Bvlgari, Chanel, Cartier and De Beers among the prestigious brands displayed in this department. The fine watches are equally well represented by the major brands such as Rolex and Tag Heuer, while one-offs and limited editions are also part of the collection.
Design and Architecture
As well as all the eye-popping products on offer, the architecture of the store as you walk through is also something in which to fully immerse yourself. Wherever you go Egyptian designs and statues, art-deco windows and beautifully authentic grade II listed rooms like the dining hall add to the feel of luxury. The building is designed to impress, hitting you as you walk in with the Egyptian escalator which runs through the centre of the store.
Did you know: (5 interesting facts!)
- This is one very big department store, huge in fact, containing over 1,000,000 square foot of shop floor space.
- Harrods originally introduced a moving staircase in 1898, the country’s first escalator. It is said to have been a bit of a bumpy ride with brandy on offer to calm any fraying nerves.
- The Harrods motto is the Latin phrase ‘Omnia Omnibus Ubique’, meaning ‘All things for all people, everywhere’. The motto expresses the store’s desire to stock everything a visiting shopper could need.
- The average daily footfall in the store is impressive enough at around 100,000 visitors, yet this can become nearer 300,000 over the Christmas period.
- Snakes may not seem your first choice of security guards, yet Harrods once used a cobra to guard a £62,000 pair of ruby, sapphire and diamond-encrusted sandals.
History
- 1849 Store founded in Knightsbridge by Charles Henry Harrod.
- 1861 Shop taken on by son, Charles Digby Harrod who continues to expand the store.
- December 1883 Store destroyed by fire requiring a temporary relocation while it is rebuilt.
- 1889 Becomes a limited company.
- November 1898 Harrods introduces the country’s first escalator.
- 1959 Harrods bought by the high street department group House of Fraser.
- December 1983 A car bomb detonated outside the store by the IRA kills 6 people.
- 1985 Fayed brothers buy House of Fraser group, including Harrods.
- January 1993 Another bomb blast near Harrods, injuring four people.
- 1998 Construction of Egyptian escalator completed.
Facilities and Accessibility
The entrances along Brompton Road, as well as the one at the rear of the store in Basil Street, all offer easy wheelchair access. Accessible toilets are located on both the second and the fourth floors of the store. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are permitted within Harrods. Baby changing facilities can be found on the first and second floors, while customers will have access to the store’s Wi-Fi as soon as they enter the shop.
Food lovers are spoilt for choice when looking for a place to eat while shopping at Harrods, with restaurants and cafes located across the different floor levels. These eateries provide a whole range of cuisines from around the world. The ground floor hosts the dining hall in a grade II listed building where 6 restaurants can cater for your needs as you admire the stunning tiles and roundels above. One floor lower and you will find the stylish Tiffany Blue Box Cafe.
Pick up souvenirs and gifts from this iconic department store from their gift shop. Located on the lower ground floor, the gift shop stocks a whole host of souvenirs and gifts to remember your visit embossed with the Harrods logo, including teddy bears, bags, mugs, pens, tea towels and more.