For some of the finest shopping you can do in London, immerse yourself in the city's most iconic and luxurious retail destinations, Harrods, where there is "Everything, for everyone, everywhere". From its humble origins when Charles Harrod first set up his business in Southwark in 1824, Harrods has expanded to become the largest department store in Europe today and is located at Brompton Road in Knightsbridge. For the tourist's ultimate convenience there are many hotels near Harrods.

From Humble Beginnings

Harrods began as a small grocery and tea merchant, taking up a single room and employing only three workers. Gradually the retailer expanded to include perfumes, medicines, and stationery along with its fruits and vegetables, and the number of employees grew to a 100 in fifty years. Significant milestones in the store's history include an 1883 fire in December that destroyed the building, but it did not stop Harrods' Christmas deliveries which continued as per usual and claimed high profits. Harrods is also known for debuting England's first ever escalator in 1898 and for offering anxious customers brandy at the end of their ride up in order to recover from the 'ordeal'.

Established in the traditions of exceptional customer service, Harrods has seen its fair share of celebrities come through its doors such as Oscar Wilde, Charlie Chaplin, Vivien Leigh, Sigmund Freud, A. A. Milne, and members of the Royal Family, cementing its reputation as the most famous department store in England. After a redesign and construction, the iconic domed building in Knightsbridge as we know it today was completed in 1905.

Harrods in the Modern World

Today, Harrods has expanded to cover an astonishing one million square feet of retail space, with 330 departments across 7 floors that include the renowned Christmas department, the Food Hall, the Toy Department, Harrods Bank that sells gold bars directly across the counter, a Pet Department that used to sell lions, and a wide range of bespoke departments that personalise food hampers, cakes, and perfumes. High fashion brands that grace its racks include labels like Prada, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Gucci, Gant, Hugo Boss, and Alexander McQueen. As a luxury retailer Harrods also conducts whopping price deals, such as a lampshade for £5,300, a £150,000 bathtub encrusted with 22,000 Swarovski crystals, and a collection of 12 Dalmore whiskies for £987,500.

300,000 customers are estimated to visit the shop on peak days and Harrods welcomes 15 million customers per year, according to the store. A dress code prohibiting flip flops, swimwear, and other casual or unkempt attire is enforced. If you are a tourist in the city make sure to knock Harrods off your essential must-see list. The bright-eyed first-time visitor can expect to venture into the fantasy land of Harrods where a lavishly-decorated room leads into a never-ending system of rooms, where opera singers belt out arias from balconies, where décor in the Egyptian room reminisces the banks of the Nile, and where the ice cream and macarons are delicious.

Admire its magnificent interior; bask in its histories, window shop among its vast arrays of luxury goods and items, and leave with one of Harrods' green bags.

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