Harrods

Department store with a long tradition

Charles Henry Harrod founded the company in 1834, but the original building was completely destroyed by fire in 1883. In its current form, Harrods was rebuilt between 1894 and 1903 in the style of eclecticism.

Today, Harrods employs about 4,000 people. Every year, approximately 15 million people visit London's largest department store. Every day, up to 300,000 customers flock to the department store in London's Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. More than 330 departments can be visited on a sales area of around 90,000 square meters.

Seven floors of the department store are connected by the Egyptian escalator. The escalator was commissioned in the early 1990s and cost £30 million. Egyptian-style reliefs and sculptures can be admired along the course of the stairs.

Food Halls and Toy Kingdom

The food department on the ground floor deserves special attention. In the "Food Halls", numerous delicacies are attractively presented in four large halls that have been elaborately decorated in Art Nouveau style. Visitors can take a seat at bar stools and taste the delicacies. There are also some smaller restaurants.

A shopping tour at Harrods should be combined with a picnic in the nearby Hyde Park. Harrods follows this popular London tradition in the Food Halls with a wide range of delicacies. Little visitors favour the Toy Kingdom on the 3rd floor. Not only children's hearts beat faster in view of the lovingly presented toys and the imaginative settings. In addition to toys for all age groups, the 2,400-square-metre area also features an enchanted forest and a sweet shop.

On the ground floor you can visit the jewellery department. Here, fine jewellery from Cartier, Tiffany and other leading brands are on offer. Those who want to stock up on London souvenirs can visit Harrods Gift Shop on the 2nd floor. Beside a wide range of traditional London souvenirs, the in-house biscuit and tea tins are considered as a popular attraction and a desired souvenir.

Court Supplier of the English Royal House

Until the year 2001, Harrods was the purveyor to the court of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen Mother was supplied with glass and china. Prince Philip and Charles Mountbatten-Windsor were supplied by the men's outfitter. The role as purveyor to the court allowed Harrods to display the royal family's coats of arms on the building's façade. Until spring 2018, the basement of the department store contained a fountain erected in memory of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.

Harrods operates a number of stores around the world. The first branch was opened in Buenos Aires in 1912. Other branches are located at London's Heathrow Airport, on the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth II and the Deutsche Bank branch in Berlin. Branches at the airports in Vienna and Frankfurt were closed.

Visitors to London can reach the Harrods department store by underground, Knightsbridge station, Piccadilly Line, Zone 1. Harrods opens Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm. On Sundays, tourists can go shopping between 11:30 am and 6 pm.