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The
Market |
The market, for hundreds of years, was the main form of shopping throughout
Britain. But as humans evolved from hunters and gatherers to farmers, they also
evolved from market dwellers to shoppers. Many shops popped up all over the
country, particularly in London, offering grocery goods and linens. In the last
hundred years, many of these smaller shops grew into major department stores
that have become London's shopping cornerstones.
Today, over a dozen department stores flourish in London. Among the most remarkable
are London's luxury department stores: Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Harvey Nichols,
Liberty, and Selfridges. Each is complete with an interesting history, philosophy,
culture, and, in essence, their own identity reflected in the atmosphere of
each store combined with the products they sell.
FORTNUM & MASON
Walking into Fortnum
& Mason is like entering a palace: opulent red carpets, dazzling chandeliers,
grand fountains and elaborate murals adorn the walls and ceilings. Its regal
charm is easily accounted for due to its historical ties to the Royals.
Co-founder William Fortnum was a footman at Buckingham Palace in the early
1700s. It was his occupation to replace every candle in the palace with a new
one. His initiative led him to sell the used candles to the public for a tidy
profit. He eventually convinced his landlord Hugh Mason to go into business
with him, which led to a small grocery store. Fortnum and Masons' royal affiliation
allowed the store to prosper for decades. By 1788, Charles Mason, grandson to
Hugh Mason, had worked his way up the ranks to become Groom of the Pantry for
Queen Charlotte while the grocery store flourished on the side.
Creating perhaps the first fast food by supplying ready-to-eat delicacies (such
as game and poultry on aspic jelly crowned with prawns and lobster), Fortnum
& Mason became very popular with the affluent residents of Piccadilly. By 1851,
these meals were all the rage, winning the store many contracts to supply meals
for Victorian court functions.
For many decades, Fortnum & Mason showed their patriotism by supplying food
hampers for the British Army, but it was their reputation of gourmet foods that
propelled them into present day success and reputation.
While the store expanded and today carries a variety of first-class merchandise
from crystal to clothes, the food hall is most popular. Elegant displays present
traditional luxury gourmet goods and contemporary decadent delights. They are
also legendary for their food hampers. The grandeur found here is also a reflection
on the employees who, considered professionals in their trade, take the business
very seriously. This earnest professionalism is found throughout the department
store's four floors of classic fashions tended by attentive staff.
It is no wonder that Fortnum & Masons is officially appointed as suppliers
of certain goods for the Royal Family, retaining its regal connection and thus
popularity. And while the interior is marvellous, the outside reflects the store's
history with a magnificent clock, weighing 4.3 tonnes, above the main doors.
Every hour, two solid bronze figures of William Fortnum and Hugh Mason bow to
each other and turn as a tune plays.
HARRODS
Perhaps the world's most famous department store, Harrods
began as a simple grocery in 1849 owned by Henry Charles Harrod. His store philosophy-Everything
for Everybody, Everywhere-became core to the shop's success and remains Harrods'
motto today. The variety of merchandise could be the world's largest with 28
departments, 22 restaurants, and 52 services making up 1.2 million goods.
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| The
White Terrier Often Associated with Harrods |
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Every top label in fashion is represented here, from Chanel to DKNY-for humans
and animals. There are Burberry coats for dogs in the pet shop or Swarovski
crystal collars for cats. Toy Kingdom is fun for children of all ages with tons
of toys in a large range of prices including Harrods' exclusive Humvee-a driveable
children's version of a Hummer-that costs £17,995.
The Food Hall is spectacular with 350 varieties of cheese, 150 types of bread,
and 110 kinds of fish. The counter displays are phenomenal and are changed throughout
the day for freshness. Beluga caviar, of course, is available but so are famous
Harrods teas, biscuits, and Christmas puddings that are very popular with tourists
hankering for a souvenir. There is also a souvenir department on the lower ground
floor with all sorts of paraphernalia sporting the Harrods logo. With such an
array of merchandise, the store really does have everything for everybody everywhere.
In fact, in 1967, Prince Leka, son of King Zog, the exiled King of Albania,
bought a baby Indian elephant named Gertie through Harrods for Ronald Regan.
Today, now owned by Mohammad Al Fayed, Harrods is more than a department store.
Al Fayed's 'palace in Knightsbridge', Harrods is like a mini-empire complete
with its own bank, airline, casino, and estate agency. Once the department store
of choice for the Royal Family, the shop still retains its regency, charm, glamour,
and lavishness that make Harrods a tourist attraction. In recent years, Al Fayed
has made his significant mark on the design of Harrods. The Egyptian Hall-rich
in golden hues, Egyptian artefacts, and authentic hieroglyphics-reflects the
owner's heritage. Father to Dodi Al Fayed, who died tragically with Princess
Diana, Al Fayed pays homage to the couple with great golden-framed pictures
of the couple. While some may consider it ostentatious, hundreds visit daily
to pay their respects.
Al Fayed is a benevolent ruler of his kingdom and is often seen walking through
his store with an entourage of guards as he takes the time to inspect departments
and visit with staff. One word of warning, though: visitors must mind their
appearance before entering, as there is a strict dress code. Generally, anyone
who is untidy-wearing such items as ripped clothing, beach shorts, swimwear,
and bare midriff-will not be admitted. And while Harrods may be "Everything
to Everyone, Everywhere" it will generally cost more here than anywhere else.
Forget about spending a penny. At Harrods, it will cost a pound. But it is worth
it. An array of soaps, perfumes, and lotions almost makes it worth standing
in queue for the toilets. If you plan on shopping at Harrods, make your purchase
first as a receipt in hand gets you in free.
HARVEY NICHOLS
Harvey
Nichols was born out of a marriage between Benjamin Harvey's daughter
and Colonel Nichols in 1820. The combined businesses sold Harvey's linens, and
Nichols luxury goods, silks, and Oriental carpets. Harvey Nichols has come a
long way since with several stores across the country.
The original store, built in the 1880s, still stands prominently and proud
in Knightsbridge. The interior, however, is a stark contrast to the exterior.
It has all the class of the historical building, but has all the style of today.
Minimalist and sleek, all the exalted names in fashion from Dolce&Gabbana and
Gucci to Mui Mui and Yohji Yamamoto are elegantly displayed, as are the products
in the first class beauty department. The home section carries big brand furniture
and housewares from Mulberry, Kenneth Turner, and Ralph Lauren. The food market
is also impressive and glamorous, providing traditional gourmet goods with help
from experienced experts.
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Window
Shoppers |
'Harvey Nicks' (as regulars affectionately call it) was the favourite shopping
spot for characters Eddy and Patsy on the British sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous';
but, the department store is perfect for serious shoppers too as it is largely
devoid of tourist crowds unlike its busy neighbour Harrods.
LIBERTY
Liberty,
found on Regent Street, occupies two buildings that are drastically different
from each other creating an eccentric and contradictory appearance. This is
appropriate as the contents and history of this world-famous department store
are equally as unconventional.
The shop was founded in 1875, but the buildings weren't built until 1924 when
the occupants on Regent Street were forced to rebuild in a Renaissance Style
in accordance to demands by the Crown. While this grand building was being built,
Liberty first commissioned the building of a second, smaller building across
the street to house merchandise so that trade could continue during the construction
of the latter. Architects used the timbers from two great ships to create a
building in the Tudor style. The contrast between the two buildings stands as
a concrete reminder of Liberty's paradoxical culture of classical innovation.
In 1875, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, dissatisfied with his occupation as a warehouse
manager at department store Farmers and Rogers, opened his own shop, which specialised
in opulent fabrics and rugs from the Orient. After only a few years, his shop
met with great success and he expanded his operation to include other international
fashions and fabrics unlike any other department stores at the time. In the
1890s, instead of sourcing these fabrics from the east, the shop began printing
its own designs in hand-block print quality--competing directly with William
Morris.
Liberty's became an integral part of the Aesthetic Movement and, as such, attracted
prestigious artistic innovators from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: Dante Gabriel
Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, and Lord Frederic Leighton.
Ever a promoter of the arts, Liberty contributed greatly to the Arts and Crafts
and Art Nouveau Movement of the 1880s and 1890s by playing a patron role to
artists. He commissioned works especially for his shop that used traditional
craft techniques. One well-known artist from this time was Archibald Knox who
created silver and pewter metalwork.
The affection for the decorative arts is evident throughout the store's tiny
rooms of the Tudor building. Arthur Liberty wanted this building to feel like
a home complete with fireplaces and bountiful decorations displayed for warmth
and comfort. This atmosphere is still prevalent today with exotic rugs strategically
draped, and smaller items displayed on antique tables. A large creaking wooden
staircase leads customers to more rooms and floors that are open to looking
over the banister to other floors. The scarf department is particularly enchanting,
and the haberdashery carries delightfully ornate and opulent fabrics.
While this traditional and classical appeal is carefully cultivated, the merchandise
remains on the cutting-edge and still commissions new designers to remain innovative
and unique from other department stores. Liberty boasts to have its own style,
and in essence their own culture, always one-step ahead of popular trends without
losing its classical sensibilities.
SELFRIDGES
A glass escalator shoots up in the middle of the shop floor funnelling shoppers
through over 3000 brands of merchandise and 17 restaurants and bars, as the
air is filled with perfume and music. Despite its classic exterior architecture,
Selfridges
is beyond contemporary. Its floors-filled with fashion forward clothes, accessories,
electronics and more-are innovative and swanky. Shopping at Selfridges isn't
just shopping. It's an experience.
Being on the cutting-edge is anything but new for the department store. Built
in 1906, Selfridges was constructed with innovation, and money, in mind. George
Selfridge, a wealthy American businessman, left his Chicago home and his position
as junior partner at department store Marshall Field and set up the first department
store in London that was designed to be a department store. Before this time,
department stores grew out of grocery stores or fabric purveyors until eventually
more and more merchandise was added creating a larger shop. Gordon Selfridge
studied the emerging culture, shopping habits, and women's attitudes to create
a shop that would support and encourage an experience.
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| Woman
Shopping |
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During this time, women were only beginning to enjoy walking alone, without
the necessary gentleman escorts, and were enjoying their freedom. Selfridges
encouraged this freedom by stressing shopping as a fun activity, not work. Customers
didn't come to buy what they needed, they came to spend the day. There was a
library and a silence room for reflection, comfortable seating, sophisticated
restaurants with reasonable prices and appointed reception rooms for French,
American, and German customers. By providing a large selection of merchandise,
many of it not available at other shops, and all under one roof, the focus was
on providing the greatest convenience for the customer. And the customer was
indeed the main concern. After all, it was Gordon Selfridge who said, 'the customer
is always right'.
The qualities in which the shop was found are still prevalent today. Executive
Director, Vittorio Radice, has approved millions of pounds of renovations to
match the vibrant and cutting-edge attitude the store has always exuded. The
building, larger than Harrods, has the exterior of a Greek temple with large
columns made of pale stone and the entrance is adorned with elaborate statues.
The shop windows were purposely designed for the use of lavish displays that
would entice shoppers, turning window dressing into an art. Today, Selfridges
is still renowned for their perfected artistic displays.
Its founder, who once touted 'Selfridges is for Everyone', would be proud that
it still lives up to its name. In 2002, Selfridges was awarded the London Tourism
Award for visitors' favourite London store. And Selfridges is for everyone.
With high-end shoppers mixing with bargain hunters, customers are likely to
spot celebrities, from Tom Jones to Noel Gallagher. Selfridges sells everything
from high-end fashion to street-cred clothing, refrigerators to furniture. It
boasts the largest perfumery and cosmetic department in Europe and often hosts
premier perfume launches. There are many restaurants and bars inside from which
to choose as well as their own luxurious hotel. For shoppers needing a break,
there is also a luxury day spa and beauty boutique.
