Last Updated: 24th May 2025
Selfridges is a renowned chain of upmarket department stores in the United Kingdom, founded by American retail innovator Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1908. The flagship store, located at 400 Oxford Street in London, opened on March 15, 1909, and is the second-largest shop in the UK after Harrods.
Selfridges is a leader in luxury omnichannel retail, known for extraordinary products and immersive customer experiences, and the brand remains a cultural institution committed to innovation, sustainability, and maintains its status as one of the most iconic department stores in the world.
American businessman Harry Gordon Selfridge founded the company in 1908 and aimed to make shopping “a pleasure, a pastime, a recreation”, offering leisure and socialising opportunities such as a restaurant, soda fountain, library, and rooftop gardens with cafes and fashion shows. The store quickly became a cultural landmark, attracting massive crowds – 90,000 visitors on opening day and over a million in the first week. Selfridge also embraced technological and promotional novelties, such as displaying Louis Blériot’s monoplane in 1909 and hosting the first public demonstration of television by John Logie Baird in 1925.
Throughout the 20th century, Selfridges expanded with branches in Manchester and Birmingham. Ownership changed hands several times: smaller provincial stores were sold to John Lewis in the 1940s, the flagship store was acquired by Lewis’s in 1951, and later by the Sears Group in 1965.
In 2003, Canadian businessman Galen Weston purchased the chain. In 2021, the Weston family agreed to sell the majority of Selfridges Group to a joint venture between Thailand’s Central Group and Austria’s Signa Holding, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund later becoming a co-owner.
Selfridges revolutionised retail by making shopping a fun, theatrical experience rather than a chore, emphasising customer engagement, socialising, and entertainment.
The first store was designed as a social and cultural landmark where people from different social classes could shop comfortably side by side, with features like restaurants, rest areas, a soda fountain, and even a library.
Harry Gordon Selfridge also introduced innovative marketing and retail concepts, such as placing merchandise for customers to examine freely and moving the perfume counter to a prominent position. His approach helped popularise the phrase “the customer is always right”.
The store’s roof once hosted gardens, cafes, a mini golf course, and fashion shows, enhancing the shopping experience.
Today, Selfridges is more than just a department store; it is a creative and cultural hub with cinemas, bars, skate bowls, and a dynamic programme of collaborations with artists and designers.
It has been named Best Department Store in the World four times and is committed to sustainability and retail activism through initiatives like Project Ocean and Project Earth, focusing on circular shopping, reducing waste, and promoting responsible retail.
Selfridges offers a wide and diverse product range across multiple categories, providing a comprehensive luxury shopping experience that spans fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle products, with a strong emphasis on designer brands and sustainability.
The latest designer collections for men, women, and children are available, including clothing, shoes, and accessories from top designer brands. Like Prada, Tom Ford, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Dior and so much more.
There are seasonal fashion items such as summer looks, eveningwear, leisurewear, and smart separates are also offered.
There is jewellery, including earrings, watches, and diamond-adorned pieces.
An extensive range of beauty products, including skincare, make-up, and beauty gift sets tailored for different skin types, is available, along with a curated collection of designer perfumes and fragrances, featuring both niche and classic designer scents.
Designer homeware includes kitchenware, gadgets, decorative accessories, outdoor furniture, and smart home technology, as well as stylish dining products, including luxury candles and cutting-edge electronics like headphones and televisions.
Toys and gifts for all ages can be found, and sustainable, planet-conscious products are marked with a ‘Project Earth’ banner across various categories, while services such as pre-loved, refill, and repair options for long-term product care are also available.
The pantry selection offers fine foods and beverages from around the world, including olives, crisps, teas, coffees, preserves, sauces, and speciality items like truffle crisps and Manuka honey. Many products emphasise local craftsmanship.
Selfridges’ website features a highly sophisticated and luxurious design aimed at replicating the in-store experience online. It is a clean, visually striking, and user-friendly platform that emphasises large, bold imagery rather than cluttered layouts with multiple images and boxes. This design approach provides a refined and upscale feel that aligns with the Selfridges brand.
The site resembles a fashion magazine, with a focus on editorial content, events, exclusive offers, and brand stories. This editorial approach is supported by an editor-in-chief role to keep content fresh and engaging. The platform incorporates advanced search and filtering capabilities for efficient product discovery, high-quality visuals for immersive product views, personalised recommendations, and a streamlined checkout process to reduce friction and cart abandonment.
The website is optimised for fast load times and reliable performance. It also promotes ethical shopping and sustainability initiatives, reflecting modern consumer values.
The site is fully responsive, optimised for mobile and tablet devices, which account for around 60% of traffic. The mobile version is designed for touch interaction with easy swipe navigation and a simplified checkout process to enhance usability and conversion on smaller screens.
Selfridges is actively engaged on multiple social networks and integrates social media closely with its retail experience, and they have a transactional mobile app that allows customers to shop directly from products featured on their Instagram feed. This app is designed to provide a personalised and integrated shopping experience, combining social media content and e-commerce.
Selfridges’ pricing varies widely depending on the product category and brand, and prices reflect its luxury and designer brand positioning, with items ranging from around $30 for beauty products to several thousand dollars for high-end fashion pieces.
There are many products to choose from and a huge offer, so it is important to check for sales, discounts and promotions.
Selfridges ships to over 130 countries worldwide, and shipping to the US comes free for orders over $400 using a code customers have at checkout. Delivery is within 3 working days and is charged around $40 for orders below $400. Selfridges tries to include all taxes and duties at checkout, but some local laws may affect this.
The company also offers a subscription service called Selfridges+ Global, which, for an annual fee, provides unlimited worldwide deliveries. For the US, free delivery applies to orders over $135 (or local currency equivalent) under this service.
Selfridges is a historic and iconic department store known for its innovative retail experience, cultural significance, and ongoing commitment to sustainability and creativity in retail.
Their site delivers a luxurious, seamless, and immersive online shopping experience that echoes the prestige of its physical stores, supported by cutting-edge technology and design expertise from award-winning developers.
Selfridges offers a prestigious shopping experience with a wide selection of luxury goods and some delivery benefits, but it is has been in the past criticized for customer service and restrictive return policies that may deter some shoppers. But overall the experience is great when you shop at Selfridges.
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