Harrods
Harrods department store was founded in 1834 by Charles Henry Harrod and moved to its current site in 1851 after capitalising on brisk trade at a stall set up for the Great Exhibition of that year. The company
expanded rapidly, but the initial buildings were destroyed by fire in 1883. A new temporary building was quickly built and in 1898 the store installed the first escalator (more of a leather conveyor belt), where brandy was offered to customers to revive them after their 'ordeal'. Harrods' present building was finished in 1905 after 11 years in construction.
Harrods' motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique. All Things for All People, Everywhere. The store attracts 15 million customers every year, a very healthy number which outperforms many [large] countries.
Famous for offering anything and everything, including a baby elephant (bought for Ronald Reagan), it is the largest retail space in London and along with Macy's, NY - the largest in the world. Over seven floors, it has up to a third of a million visitors on peak days, so expect crowds. The food hall interiors are spectacular and the range of food items available, is never less than impressive.Harrods made the headlines in 2010 when long-term owner Mohammed Al Fayad sold the store to the Qatari Royal Family for £1.5 billion. The story of Harrods could and has filled several books, with a wealth of fascinating facts, not all of them in the name of excess. During the Second World War, the store stopped selling luxury goods and turned itself over to producing uniforms, parachutes and parts for RAF bombers. Originally the flagship of the House of Fraser brand the store was separated and retained in a flotation, when the rest of House of Fraser was sold.
Harrods Store in Knightsbridge attracts 15 million visitors a year
87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL.
Knightsbridge or South Kensington Tube.
Call: 020 7730 1234
