Selfridges
Selfridges is a very well known upmarket department store in London’s Oxford Street. It has an illustrious history and continues to be a highly respected brand, loved by British shoppers and overseas visitors alike.
The store was founded by Henry Gordon Selfridge, an American who had already carved out an impressive retail career in Chicago before coming to London. Whilst working at the famous Marshall Field emporium in the 1880s, he introduced innovations such as lighting the store at night, allowing women to lunch un-chaperoned in the restaurant and having accessible displays of products.
In 1909 he opened the Selfridges store in London, taking the retail market by storm. The shop was at the forefront of fashion and modern inventions, attracting a well heeled clientele. The iconic building originally had roof gardens, but they were destroyed in the Blitz. Harry Gordon Selfridge died in 1947 and the store was sold to Lewis’s Investment Trust. It continued to be successful, had a serious makeover in the 1960s and the business was floated on the stock exchange in 1998.
Further revamps and continual innovation have kept Selfridges a fresh and vibrant place where you can buy exclusive and everyday items, from televisions to socks; on 6 different floors. As well as departments selling clothes, home and leisure goods, food and gifts; there is a wide range of services on offer including a Bureau de Change, a coat and bag drop, personal shopping, tax-free and export services.
Selfridges also has a variety of cafes, bars and restaurants and regularly holds events and promotions within the building. At the rear of the building are leafy Portman Square and a maze of quiet streets where you’ll find elegant London holiday apartments.
Selfridges is situated on the North side of Oxford Street and is halfway between Marble Arch and Bond Street Underground stations. The store is open from 9.30am to 9pm every day except Sunday when it opens from noon to 6pm.
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