The world’s most famous department store
Explore one of the most famous and luxurious shops in the world. The Harrods brand is globally recognised and its flagship store is a suitably opulent home. Stroll through more than 330 separate departments, keeping your eyes peeled for the rich and famous who regularly shop here.
Hop off our London Bus Tour in elegant and glamorous Knightsbridge, one of the most prestigious postcodes in the world. We’ll drop you right outside the store so you’ll have plenty of time to browse. This is the perfect place to pick up a souvenir of your time in London.
What makes Harrods different?
Harrods is well known for its grandeur and luxury. The building looks more like a palace than a department store, with tiles and Art Nouveau stone carvings adorning the outside – all topped with a Baroque-style dome.
It has pioneered changes in how we shop along the way, introducing the world’s first escalator in 1898. This consisted of a woven leather conveyor belt and mahogany balustrade. Customers who used it were given a brandy at the top to help them recover from their ordeal.
Other interesting facts about Harrods, London
- Shoppers can choose to dine in one of 27 restaurants within the shop, including a pizzeria, a steakhouse and an oyster bar
- The business was first started by Charles Henry Harrod in 1824 but was originally located south of the River Thames, in Southwark
- The Knightsbridge store was established in 1849 and was originally one room. It now covers more than a million square feet (90,000 square metres)
- Harrods once held royal warrants to supply goods to Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother
- The store’s motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique, which translates from the Latin as All Things for All People, Everywhere
