Harrods of Knightsbridge |
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HarrodsHarrods Luxury Department Store Tel +44 [0]207 730 1234
Official Harrods website: www.harrods.com When Mohamed Al Fayed, purchased Harrods in 1985, its place as the world’s premier department store was already firmly established. A £400 million refurbishment project in order to return the ‘Palace in Knightsbridge’ to its former glory. Refurbishing the fabric of the building, including the exquisite Edwardian terracotta façade. Two spectacular new additions the Central Egyptian Escalator completed in 1997 and the grand Egyptian Halls. History of HarrodsHarrods has not always been so grand, however. The fairy tale begins with Charles Henry Harrod who was already a successful grocery wholesaler and tea merchant before he took over a small Knightsbridge shop in 1849. Under Harrod and his son the business prospered thanks to hard work, meticulous planning and the growing affluence of the Knightsbridge district of London. Much has changed since then, but the founder’s guiding principles of quality and service are still paramount today. In 1889 the thriving store became a public limited company. Harrods now employed 200 staff, selling not only food but also furniture, perfume, jewellery and glass. Throughout the 1890s, under the dynamic leadership of Managing Director Richard Burbidge, the business grew at an astonishing rate. By 1902 when the first part of the famous Brompton Road frontage was complete, Harrods was London’s biggest store, with 91 departments and a staff of more than 2000. The splendour of the new building along with the quality of merchandise and unprecedented customer service, had made Harrods the most fashionable resort for shopping. The motto ‘Everything for Everybody Everywhere’ and telegraphic address of ‘Everything London’ reflected its ever-widening range of merchandise and services. During this period of retail revolution, Harrods, innovative as ever, introduced Britain’s first ever escalator and pioneered telephone shopping. Between 1890 and 1910 annual profits rose from £12,479 to £210,092. By 1911 the store had acquired all of the property around the site of the original shop and now occupied the whole of its island site. A strategy of upward expansion was introduced and flats on the upper floors were converted to retail use. During the First World War Harrods was able to make a real contribution in many areas of the war effort, from provisioning troops to building hospitals for the Belgians. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s Harrods remained London’s biggest store, and certainly the most elegant. It had become an indispensable British institution - but Harrods never stood still. The south side of the store was rebuilt in 1929-30, with the spacious new Man’s Shop on its ground floor. The centre of the building was also redeveloped, with sleek modern interiors for the new fashion departments. Christmas was incomplete without a visit to the annual Harrods Toy Fair, and it was here that the author A. A. Milne purchased the original Winnie the Pooh bear for his son Christopher. During the Second World War parts of the building were requisitioned for military use as the headquarters of the Canadian Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Elsewhere, parachutes and uniforms were produced, and parts for Lancaster bombers were manufactured by staff working in the deep basements. While the Harrods Estates Office opposite the main building was destroyed by a flying bomb, thankfully the store itself remained largely unscathed. In 1959 Harrods was acquired by House of Fraser, becoming the flagship store of this large retail group and when in 1993 links with House of Fraser were broken, Harrods was once again a private family-owned company as it had been in the days of Charles Henry Harrod. Harrods has remained London’s premier retail outlet and through constant innovation and evolution, has not only adapted to the changing trends throughout the years, but has also been at the forefront of them. Yet, the fundamental ethic of selling quality merchandise and giving customers exemplary service has never been questioned or compromised. |
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