Harrods
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Harrods is an upmarket department store on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London. Apart from the store, the Harrods Group of companies includes Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Casino, Harrods Aviation and Air Harrods.
The store occupies a 4.5 acre (18,000 square metre) site and has over 1 million square feet (over 92,000 square metres) of selling space. [link] The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique - All Things, For All People, Everywhere. Several of its departments, including the seasonal Christmas department and Food Hall are world famous for the abundance and quality of goods on offer. The nearest tube station to the flagship store is Knightsbridge. Harrods's owner is the Egyptian tycoon Mohamed Al-Fayed who bought the store in 1985 for £615 million.
History
Harrods began in London's East End at the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1835, Charles Henry Harrod, a tea merchant and grocery wholesaler, started his own shop opposite of his home in Stepney. Harrod was worried by a cholera epidemic sweeping London and he knew a businessman who wanted to get out of a lease on a grocery shop in Knightsbridge. The shop was moved in 1849 to what was then semi-rural Brompton Road.As Knightsbridge grew Harrods grew with it and several adjoining buildings were taken over by the store.
Mission Statement:
- To be the number one department store in the world for luxury branded merchandise maintaining an unprecedented level of retail standards, expertise and profitability.
- Through a combination of product, innovation and eccentricity, we aim to provide every customer with a truly unforgettable experience in our quintessentially British environment.
- 1861 - Harrods undergoes a transformation when it was taken over by Harrod's son, Charles Digby Harrod.
- December 6, 1883, fire gutted the shop buildings, giving the family the opportunity to rebuild on a grander scale.
- 1889 - Charles Digby Harrod retired, Harrods was floated on the London Stock Exchange under the name Harrod's Stores Limited.
- 1912 - Harrods opened its only foreign branch in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The store was modeled on the Knightsbridge store. It continued to be associated with the parent store until the 1950s when links were severed. It continues to trade under the Harrods name.
- 1959 - House of Fraser bought Harrods.
- 1983 - IRA bomb kills six people.
- 1985 - The store was bought by the al-Fayed brothers in 1985 for £615 million, since then the selling space has enlarged to include previously staff-only and storage areas in the basement and top floors. He was supposed to sell back to House of Fraser, but did not.
- 1994 - House of Fraser and Harrods demerged. Harrods remains under ownership of Al-Fayed family whereas House of Fraser is floated on stock exchange.
Fur
In the late eighties, Harrods stopped selling fur clothing. Recently it has resumed sale of fur, and currently, Harrods is now the only department store selling fur in the UK. The Knightsbridge store is the subject of regular anti-fur demonstrations. It is seeking an injunction against the activists, and as of writing this article, has obtained a temporary injunction allowing only 3 activists within ten metres of the entrances of the store at a time. This explains the yellow chalk line bordering Harrods. The anti - fur activists are urging consumers to boycott Harrods until the store stops selling fur.Mohammad Al Fayed
Store owner Mohammad Al Fayed has had a tempestuous relationship with British authorities through the years. Most notable are his conspiracy claims against the Royal Family, particularly Prince Phillip, in regards to the death of his son Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana in the Paris Alma Tunnel. There is a memorial to the pair near Harrods' famous Egyptian escalators, and a life-sized statue of the lovers at Door 3. He has also never been granted British citizenship despite his efforts over the last 20 years.Royal Warrants
Harrods was the holder of Royal Warrants from- Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain for Provisions and Household Goods
- The Duke of Edinburgh as Outfitters
- The Prince of Wales as Outfitters and Saddlers
- The Queen Mother for China and Glass
Al-Fayed then pre-emptively removed all other warrants from the business, even though these were yet to be withdrawn or expire.
None of the warrant holders had shopped at Harrods since 1997.
Further reading
See also
External links
- [Harrods website]
- [Mohamed al-Fayed interview] - Harrods owner
- [History of London Stores]
- [Harrods USA website]
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