Harrods

Harrods is a prestigious luxury department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London. It is the largest department store in Europe, covering about 90,000 square metres (1 million square feet) of retail space with over 330 departments, stocks around 5,000 brands and offers a vast range of products, including clothing, electronics, jewellery, food and drink, beauty products, homewares, and more.

The store also provides numerous services such as personal shopping, restaurants, a beauty spa, tailoring, and bespoke gift options.

Harrods attracts about 15 million visitors annually, many from overseas, with peak days seeing up to 300,000 customers.

Short history of Harrods

Founded by Charles Henry Harrod in 1834, Harrods began as a small grocery shop and relocated to Knightsbridge in 1849, where it gradually expanded into a prestigious retail establishment offering a wide range of goods, including medicines, perfumes, clothing, and food.

The current iconic Harrods building, designed by architect Charles William Stephens, opened in 1905 after the original store was destroyed by fire in 1883.

Over its history, Harrods has evolved from a family-run business into a major commercial enterprise, and ownership of Harrods has changed several times. It became a public company in 1889, was acquired by House of Fraser in 1959, and was then bought by the Fayed brothers in 1985. In 2010, it was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, which currently manages it.

What is Harrods all about?

Harrods aims to serve the needs and aspirations of its customers, creating new stories and moments of delight, treating everyone with grace, courtesy, and care regardless of who they are or where they come from. The store’s motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique (“all things for all people, everywhere”), reflecting its wide and diverse product range.

Harrods is famous not only for its luxury shopping experience but also for its grandeur and distinctive architecture, including its terracotta façade, cherubs, Art Nouveau windows, and a baroque-style dome.

It is also known for its iconic annual Christmas bears and its food halls.

Their mission includes a strong commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility, aiming to lead in ethical retail and provide bespoke experiences tailored to individual shoppers’ preferences.

What do they have to offer?

Harrods offers an extensive selection of designer brands across fashion, accessories, beauty, and more, making it a premier destination for luxury shopping. It is renowned for curating a comprehensive and luxurious assortment of the world’s top designer brands, ensuring a sophisticated and indulgent shopping experience for its global clientele.

There are over 3000 brands across many departments, and prestigious fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Versace, Valentino, Celine, Balenciaga, Balmain, Alexander Wang, Jacquemus, Isabel Marant, and Thom Browne are available. Iconic luxury accessory brands include Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Jimmy Choo.

Some of the more focused Menswear one’s includes cult designers such as Loewe, Moncler, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, and more contemporary designers like AMI Paris, AMIRI, and AllSaints.

The extensive list of brands includes both established luxury houses and contemporary designers, catering to a wide range of tastes and styles.

What is the user experience like?

Harrods’ homepage acts as a central hub linking to various sections such as products, curated fashion edits, stories (a content marketing blog), and a store guide. Navigation is intuitive, with smooth transitions and visual filters that emphasise style details like neckline or heel height rather than just basic descriptions.

Product pages include responsive zoom features, editor’s notes, recommended items, and delivery information, creating a rich and engaging shopping journey.

The site uses a warm, traditional colour palette of Harrods’ signature gold and green, creating a familiar and inviting luxury atmosphere.

The design is layered with editorial images and videos, maintaining a cohesive and elegant aesthetic that reflects the brand’s identity. The “Harrods Stories” section provides expert styling tips, luxury lifestyle articles, and trend insights, which are integrated with direct links to purchase featured products. This content marketing approach helps position Harrods as an authority on luxury living and drives conversion by linking inspiration directly to shopping.

The Harrods app complements the website by offering full e-commerce functionality and a personal in-store guide to navigate the vast Knightsbridge store.

Harrods maintains a strong presence on several social media platforms to engage with diverse audiences and promote its luxury brand. Instagram is a primary platform for Harrods, where it shares polished and innovative content, including short-form videos and behind-the-scenes glimpses to engage followers. The company emphasises two-way communication on social media, viewing its audience as active contributors to conversations around the brand. This approach helps build loyalty and engage younger, diverse audiences.

What are the prices like?

Pricing at Harrods varies widely depending on the brand and item, with examples including dresses and shoes from luxury labels like DÔEN and Jimmy Choo priced in the range of several hundred to over a thousand pounds or dollars.

For instance, a Polka Dot Mazarin Midi Dress by DÔEN is priced around £438 in the UK and $515 in the US, while Jimmy Choo heeled slingbacks can cost about £775 or $910. Men’s clothing items such as embroidered hoodies can range from $560 down to $150 on sale, with T-shirts around $105 to $140.

Harrods also offers seasonal sales, sometimes with discounts of up to 30% or more on selected fashion items, which can significantly reduce prices on luxury clothing and accessories.

Additionally, Harrods is known for major sales events such as Boxing Day, where discounts can be as steep as 50-80%, offering opportunities to buy luxury items at much lower prices.

What are their shipping options?

Harrods offers several shipping options for customers both in the UK and internationally, with varying delivery times and costs.

The company provides a tax-free shipping service that allows international customers, including those in the US, to shop VAT-free on their purchases shipped to an international address.

Delivery to the US typically takes 4 to 6 business days and costs around $30. Tracking information is provided via email once the order ships.

For a full list of regions they ship to along with their delivery timeframe and costs see the table below.

Conclusion!

Harrods is a historic and world-renowned luxury department store symbolising opulence and variety, deeply rooted in London’s retail heritage.

Harrods’ website is a sophisticated, visually rich, and user-friendly luxury retail platform that not only sells products but also offers lifestyle content and an integrated digital experience that complements its world-famous physical store.

Harrods is ideal for shoppers seeking luxury, style, and excellent service, but it comes with high prices and some accessibility challenges.

Online shopping may also be problematic for some customers.