harrods store tour

The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Harrods in 2024

Harrods ultimate guide.

Not many department stores can boast of being a world-famous tourist attractions with over 15 million visitors every year. But with jaw-dropping architecture (not to mention some of the most luxurious brands known to mankind), Harrods is the ultimate destination in London for both shopping enthusiasts and non-shopping enthusiasts alike. Have you ever consider taking a free walking tour around a department store? Harrods is the place!

Located in the heart of one of London’s richest neighbourhoods (Knightsbridge), Harrods is hands-down the biggest department store in Europe, as it spans over seven floors, 90,000 square metres and 330 different departments.

Harrods was established in 1849 by Charles Henry Harrod, who was a businessman involved in retail trade with a special interest in tea trading. Originally, Harrods was designed to be a single-room store selling tea and groceries, with only two employees and one messenger boy. However, by 1880, Harrods expanded into a thriving department store which offered everything from luxury clothing brands to budget household items.

Today, Harrods is more than just a department stare. It’s an international and highly-desirable brand, and it even boasts its own bank, optician and pharmacy, as well as Harrods Aviation, Air Harrods and Harrods Estates.

Harrods is currently owned by Qatar Holdings, and was purchased by the Al-Fayed family in 2010. Mohamed Fayed is the father of Dodi Fayed, who was with Princess Diana in Paris when the car they were riding in crashed and killed both of them (including the driver) instantly. In their honour, Fayed set up a memorial for them in Harrods, which is located next to the escalators.

Harrods Highlights

With its motto “Omnia Omnibus Ubique – All Things For All People, Everywhere,” it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Harrods covers nearly every type of product and designer brand imaginable.

With names like Dolce and Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Heidi Klein, and Estée Lauder scattered throughout its many departments, and products ranging from designer clothes, make-up, jewellery, furniture, shoes, cigars, and so much more, there’s no telling what you’ll walk out of the store with when shopping at Harrods.

You probably won't have time to visit all of the over 330 retailers at Harrods, but at least you can take a stroll around The Arcade (located on the lower ground floor) to enjoy the traditional British atmosphere and find superb gifts. The Womenswear and Menswear departments are located on the first and second floors respectively, and families will delight in the Toy Department on the fourth floor, as it contains huge stuffed animals and unique toys you certainly won’t find anywhere else in London. If possible, take a trip to the sixth floor to delight yourself with the refinement of the Salon de Parfums, which boasts some of the most exclusive perfumes on the planet.

Harrods also has fascinating architecture featuring Egyptian designs, terracotta tiles, Art Nouveau windows and a baroque-style dome. If you feel like doing some sightseeing around Harrods, then be sure to check out the lavishly-decorated Food Hall with 27 different restaurants located on the lower floor, which was decorated with artwork by Williams James Neatby. Also, be sure to check out the Egyptian Halls and Crystal Rooms; and, most importantly, the majestic central Egyptian-styled escalators. You'll feel like taking a free tour around the British Museum!

During the holiday season, Harrods is transformed into a wintry wonderland, with its Brompton Road windows decorated in a delightful Christmas theme, and customers can also visit Father Christmas at its annual Christmas Grotto area.

Harrods hosts a variety of events throughout the year, ranging from wine events, childrens’ workshops and much more. Before you visit, make sure you check out Harrods’ official website to see if there is an event taking place on the day that you visit.

Special Tips

Getting There

Visiting harrods.

There are detailed floor plans located at the entrance to the store, but you might prefer to download the Harrods app if you want to locate a store in particular (free wifi is available). There are ATMs, a currency exchange bureau, and gift wrapping services on the lower ground floor.

The store has wheelchair access in any of the front doors along Brompton Road, or at Door 3 (which is located at the rear of the store in Basil Street). Door 5 on Hans Crescent also has a convenient entry as well as nearby lifts to the upper floors.

There are bars, restaurants, bistros, tea rooms, lounges and even a champagne bar scattered around Harrods’ many floors, which offer everything from caviar, oysters, Italian wine, Asian cuisine and even BBQ.

Visitors to Harrods are asked to wear respectable clothing when visiting the store, and avoid wearing clothes which may reveal “intimate parts of the body” or feature offensive pictures or writing.

Be aware that large bags and suitcases are not allowed at Harrods (no, not even cabin-sized cases!), and there aren't any left luggage facilities available. So make sure to plan ahead and don't visit Harrods on your way to or from the airport!

Photography is allowed, but not in the jewellery departments, Banking Hold or Safe Deposit; even so, security personnel may ask you to put your camera away if they see you snapping photos around the store.

Unaccompanied children under the ages of 18 will not be allowed to enter the store, and no eating or drinking is allowed in the store unless it is in Harrods’ many cafes and restaurants.

If the store is busy, Harrods may have to deny access to tour parties or larger groups.

Ticket Costs and Opening Times

Anyone can enter Harrods for free, but be aware that there are “Browsing only” times on Sunday, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. However, if you plan on shopping in Harrods, its opening and closing times are:

• 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday
• 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays

If you are checking out Harrods, you might also want to join any of the free tours in London  that are available on offer.

Free Tours in Your Language

• London City Tours >

London Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea at Harrods

Our Vintage London Bus Tour with Afternoon Tea at Harrods is a fun way to discover the city. Enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour on a vintage 1950’s open-top bus that is a British cultural symbol. You’ll get to see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and The Tower of London, with photo stops along the way. This is followed by a short cruise along the River Thames with an expert tour guide. Finally, enjoy afternoon tea at Harrods Department Store, with jam, scones, home-grown tea and a glass of prosecco.

Our vintage London bus tour with afternoon tea at Harrods is available every day departing at 1pm.

highlights:

• 13:00: Depart Victoria Station Coach Station on a vintage London red bus, with an open-top roof! Drive through the streets of London on a panoramic tour of the city with an expert tour guide.
• 15:30: Take a 40-minute cruise along the River Thames, where you’ll see amazing views of Tower Bridge, The Shard and Shakespeare’s Globe.
• 16:45: Enjoy afternoon tea at Harrods, with homemade scones, jam and tea. After your afternoon tea, you’ll have free time to explore Harrods, the world’s most luxurious department store!

Vintage London Bus Tour:

Sightseeing on Vintage London Bus Tour

The 1950’s Vintage Routemaster London bus is considered an English cultural icon. These buses were used from the 1950s until 2005, and are instantly recognizable with their open rear platforms, where passengers can get on and off even when the bus is moving!

Our vintage London bus tour includes a live guide who’ll point out the major sites along the way. The bus has an open roof, which makes it perfect for sightseeing and taking pictures. Highlights include seeing the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and Trafalgar Square. We will also stop for photos outside Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.

The panoramic tour is followed by a 40-minute cruise along the River Thames where you’ll get fantastic views of more major London landmarks. This includes Tower Bridge, the Shard, Shakespeare’s Globe and the London Eye.

afternoon tea at Harrods

Harrods Tea Room

Harrods department store offers an unforgettable experience. Its seven-story building is located in the heart of the capital and is where the world’s rich and famous go shopping. Harrods also offers a truly world-class dining experience. Our vintage London bus tour includes a cream tea at Harrods Georgian Restaurant. Enjoy one of the best afternoon tea’s in the city, with a choice of boutique teas served with homemade scones, jam, clotted cream and a glass of prosecco.

• The tour departs from Victoria Coach Station at 1pm. It ends at Harrods Department Store
• It includes a guide, panoramic tour, river cruise and afternoon tea at Harrods
• The dress code for Harrods is smart casual
• We can arrange gluten-free & nut-free meals but require 72 hours notice (since the overall menu prepared in the kitchen, nut traces could still be present)
• We recommend bringing a coat in case of rain
• Free cancellation up to 72 hours before departure

Tour Booking

Vintage london bus tour route.

We begin our vintage London bus tour in Parliament Square where you can see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The Routemaster bus will stop for photos outside of Westminster Abbey, which is where Queen Elizabeth II was coronated on 6 February 1952. We continue our drive along Whitehall and to Trafalgar Square. The square was named after Britain’s victory in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, with a huge monument called Nelson’s Column standing in the centre of the square. The square is surrounded by the National Gallery, St Martins-in-the-Field Church, Admiralty Arch and The Mall.

Our vintage London bus tour continues along the Strand and Fleet Street, which was once the home of most British national newspapers. From here we pass St Paul’s Cathedral which was the tallest building in London until 1962. The dome is the second-largest in the world, and it is an architectural masterpiece designed by Sir Christopher Wren. We continue onto the Tower of London, with a photo stop outside of the home of the Crown Jewels. The Tower of London is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of England’s most iconic structures. The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror in 1066 and is the most complete example of an 11th century fortress palace remaining in Europe.

Our cruise along the River Thames is another opportunity to take in the best London landmarks on this vintage tour. You’ll get the best view of Tower Bridge, an iconic symbol of London. As you cruise along the river, you’ll see Shakespeare’s Globe which is a reconstruction of the theatre for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. You’ll also see the Shard, which is the tallest building in the UK standing at 95 storeys. Our cruise ends at the London Eye pier and from here we continue our vintage London bus tour with afternoon tea at Harrods.

Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea is a quintessentially English custom, that first started in the 19th Century. It became a social event for the upper-class where people would have dressed up, with women wearing hats and long gowns. Today, there are many ways to take afternoon tea. Brits around the country will usually enjoy a simple cup of tea and biscuits at 4pm. However, many restaurants in London, including Harrods, will serve luxury afternoon teas with scones, jams, preserves and a selection of teas. For international travellers heading to London, this is often a highlight of their visit to the city and is a popular part of our Vintage Bus Tour. 

Harrods has been serving afternoon tea since 1896, and it is one of the most famous and iconic places to enjoy afternoon tea in London. In 1911, a new restaurant was built at Harrods and since it was completed in the same year as George V’s coronation it was named after the new king. Today, you’ll enjoy afternoon tea in these rooms that are steeped in a rich history of English tradition. The scones are home-baked and served with Harrods exclusive preserves. Choose from a selection of fine teas, many from Harrods own tea gardens and all handpicked adhering only to the highest standards. 

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Harrods in London

Welcome to heaven on earth for shopping aficionados! With its hundreds of boutiques, each more luxurious than the last, Harrods is the largest of London’s department stores!

Follow the guide!

💡 The Captain’s tip 💡

Want to know more about the history of London? Captain Ulysses highly recommends this free guided tour of the capital . It’s up to you to choose how much you wish to tip the tour guide!

Looking for a hotel in London? Be sure to check out the Captain’s article: Where to stay in London? Advice & recommendations

Brief history of Harrods in London

The origins of harrods.

The history of Harrods begins in the early 19 th century. In 1834, Charles Henry Harrod, a tea wholesaler, opened a grocery store in the East End, a poor district of London.

In 1849, he moved his store to Brompton Road in Knightsbridge. Over the years, he gradually bought up the commercial premises in the vicinity to expand his store. In 1861, his son, Charles Digby Harrod, succeeded him at the head of the company.

On November 6, 1883, Harrods was destroyed in a fire. The following year, a larger store was built on the same site.

Expansion and modernization

In 1889, the company was sold to Alfred James Newton, who quickly took it public. At the turn of the century, major renovations and enlargements were carried out. In the late 19 th century, Newton had an “inclined rolling plan” installed (the ancestor of the modern escalator): it was a first in a department store!

In 1914, the company opened a new store… in Buenos Aires! (The Argentinian store closed in 1998 and no longer exists) The company also bought up a number of other London department stores.

Harrods from the 50’s to the 80’s

In the late 1950s, the company was acquired by the parent company of House of Fraser. It continued to expand the store and grow its reputation around the world.

In the 70’s and 80’s, the store was the target of several attacks by the IRA (Irish Republican Army).

Harrods since the 1980s

In 1985, Harrods was bought by the Al-Fayed family and separated from House of Fraser. The new owners further expanded the store and created the Egyptian Hall , adorned with bas-reliefs and statues in marble and bronze rococo!

In 1998, Dodi Al-Fayed, son of the CEO of Harrods, disappeared in the car accident that also caused the death of his companion, Lady Diana. Her father had a memorial installed in the Knightsbridge store in honor of the couple.

In 2010, Harrods was acquired by the investment fund Qatar Holdings, owned by the Emirate of Qatar. They installed a new Art Nouveau style escalator and continued to develop the now legendary store.

A few figures

• is spread over a surface area of 92,000 m²
• is spread over 7 levels (2 in the basement + the first floor + 4 floors)
• counts a total of over 330 boutiques
• counts 32 bars, pubs and restaurants
• has more than 3,500 employees
• receives approximately 15 million visitors per year
• registered revenues approximating £1.5 billion in 2015

🤔 Fun Fact 🤔

The store’s motto is “ Omnia ubique omnibus “, which means “Everything, everywhere, for everyone”. Well, considering the prices charged in the store, this may be a bit of an exaggeration!

Visiting Harrods in London

Whether you’re in a spending mood or not, Harrods is a must-see in London! What to see in the famous store? Be sure not to miss:

👉 Harrods façade : first stop before even entering the store to admire its imposing terracotta-colored Victorian façade. At nightfall, it is lit by… 12,000 bulbs: impressive to say the least!

👉 The Egyptian Hall : created by the Al-Fayed brothers, Harrods’s Egyptian Hall is quite unique, with its impressive display of marble and gilding in the purest Egyptian style…

👉 Lady Di and Dodi Al-Fayed Memorial : upon the death of his son in the car accident also responsible for the disappearance of his partner, Lady Di, Mohamed Al-Fayed had a monument erected in memory of the couple. You’ll find the memorial in the basement of the Knightsbridge store.

👉 Shopping at Harrods : clothes, perfumes, jewelry, beauty products, luggage, home decor, etc. Harrods truly is heaven on earth for shopping aficionados. If you’re running on a tight budget, you can stick with the store’s git shop. Why not splurge on the legendary teddy bear which is a symbol of the brand? For the record, Winnie the Pooh was inspired from Harrods’ teddy bear!

👉 Cuisine & gastronomy : Harrods counts dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as a vast delicatessen department. But be warned, like everywhere else in the store, the prices are somewhat prohibitive!

👉 Harrods Christmas parade : the Christmas parade has become an unmissable event for kids ( and adults )! The event includes a parade presided over by Santa Claus aboard a horse-drawn sleigh, followed by a photo session with the children. Be warned, the event is a victim of its own success: remember to book at least three months in advance if you want to meet Santa Claus!

👉 The sales at Harrods : as in any department store, the sales are a highlight of the year. Discounts can reach up to 80%: a great opportunity to treat yourself without (completely) breaking the bank!

🎩 Proper attire required 🎩

In 1989, Harrods implemented a dress code : beach shorts, bathing suits and flip-flops are forbidden!

Getting to Harrods

Harrods is located at 87-135 Brompton Road, in the upscale Knightsbridge neighborhood, just a stone’s throw from Hyde Park in central London.

The nearest public transports are:

• metro: Knightsbridge station (Piccadilly line)
• buses : lines 9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 52, 74, 137, 414 and C1

Hop-on hop-of sightseeing buses also stop near the store and are quite handy for getting around the capital’s major sites and monuments.

👉 Book your hop-on hop-off bus tour + Thames cruise

Opening hours

Harrods is open:

• Monday to Saturday: 10am to 9pm
• Sunday: from 11:30 am to 6 pm

Admission to the store is obviously free of charge. If you want to do some shopping, be prepared to break your piggy bank, unless you’re visiting during the sales! Most visitors are content to buy a teddy bear or an oilcloth shopping bag from the gift store.

👍 London Pass & London Explorer Pass 👍

If you’re spending some time in London, passes are a smart investment. There are two options: the London Pass and the London Explorer Pass.

The London Pass is a favorite of the Captain, as it provides access to 80 top London attractions including iconic museums and monuments such as the Tower of London , St. Paul’s Cathedral , Westminster Abbey , Kensington Palace …

More info: London Pass | London Explorer Pass

👉 Skip the lines: book your tickets and visits in London!

👉 find the perfect place to stay in london, 👉 looking for tips and recommendations here are all the captain’s suggestions in london.

🛏️ Accommodation : If you haven’t booked your accommodation in London yet, Captain Ulysses highly recommends Expedia . And for more tips and recommendations, check out the Captain’s detailed article: Where to stay in London?

🎟️ Activities: For your visits and activities in London, the Captain recomends checking out GetYourGuide , Civitatis and Tiqets . Skip-the-line tickets, cruises, guided tours, activities off the beaten tracks… You will undoubtedly find what everything you need… and more! Keep in mind that London is a very touristy city: if you want to avoid queuing for hours, skip-the-line tickets are great time savers!

🎫 Citypass : If you’re spending a few days in the capital, Captain Ulysse recommends investing in a city pass which will give you access to the most iconic monuments and attractions in London. There are 2 options: the London Explorer Pass and the London Pass (which also includes a 1-day hop-on-hop-off bus tour.). These passes have 2 major advantages: the discounts and the skip-the-line accesses.

🚐 Transfers: London is a huge city and the airports are quite distant from the city centre. If you want to avoid spending hours in public transports to get to your hotel, you can book a transfer from the airport. A car will be waiting for you at the airport and will take you wherever you want in the city centre. Find out more here .

🚌 Transports: The capital being quite spread out, there’s no avoiding taking public transports. The good news is that they are quite easy to navigate! You can also opt for a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour , which includes an audioguide and stops at the main attractions and monuments in the city.

✈️ Flights: To get to London, there are plenty of options: planes, buses, trains and even ferries. For your flights, the Captain highly recommends that checking out Skyscanner : you’ll be able to find the best deal for the dates on which you plan on traveling to London. If your dates are flexible, you will even be able to compare prices over several weeks in order to find THE best deal. London is also easily accessible by bus and train. To book your trips, the Captain warmly recommends Omio , which allows you to travel through 44 countries with 207 train and bus companies, including Eurostar .

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Harrods of Knightsbridge Shopping Guide

Perhaps the most famous department store in the world, Harrods is located in the upmarket London neighbourhood of Knightsbridge.

And this post is a shopper's guide to Harrods of London, including popular items, souvenirs, afternoon tea, and more.

What Can You Buy at Harrods?

• Afternoon Tea
• Eating and the Food Hall
• Best Souvenirs

Christmas at Harrods

Simply put, Anything! With over 330 departments located inside, there isn't much that Harrods doesn't have on offer.

You'll find luxury clothing labels, makeup and perfumes, healthy and beauty items, packaged gifts, high-quality stationery, housewares and home appliances, sporting gear, top-of-the-line electronics, jewellery, sports gear, pet accessories...and more.

There's also a bridal boutique and a special souvenir shop (detailed below).

For a fully luxurious experience, you can book personal shoppers, visit the beauty salon and spa, or have your clothes custom tailored!

For a glimpse at what's on offer, check out the Harrods website .

Afternoon Tea at Harrods

For a truly luxurious and traditional Afternoon Tea, you can't go wrong with the Harrods tea rooms.

The beautiful tea rooms are surpassed only by the delicious flavours on offer.

The Harrods Afternoon Tea is the full experience: freshly baked warm scones, clotted cream and jam, savoury sandwiches, and decadent pastries.

The menu changes with the seasons so you're always getting the highest quality ingredients, and there are vegan and vegetarian options, too.

All the food is made by in-house chefs and is served with teas specially blended for Harrods. Oh, and you can also add a glass of their unique house champagne!

Book your table here .

Too rich for your blood, then check out our blog post all about affordable afternoon tea options in London .

Eating at Harrods and the Food Hall

Harrods is a one-stop shop for all things luxury, including food and wine.

Billed as "the world's greatest food emporium" the Harrods Food Halls feature everything from fresh seafood, an on-site bakery, a patisserie, a wine and spirits shop, and even an entire hell dedicated to chocolate!

Here you will find ready-to-eat goods as well as ingredients to take and use at home.

You'll also find branded items like teas, coffees, cakes, and biscuits which make perfect - and delicious - souvenirs.

If you're looking to grab a bite while you shop, you're in luck because Harrods has 23 restaurants.

Some of the options you'll find are a grill for meat lovers, an Italian option literally called Pasta Evangelists, a caviar house, a sushi bar, an Indian restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef, and an upmarket, but traditional, chippie.

The Best Souvenirs from Harrods

If you're looking for something to take home after your visit to Harrods, there are a number of options for you to choose from.

From branded clothing, bags, and wallets to candles, luxury tins of tea, and cookies, there really is something for everyone.

You can also pick up a famous Harrods teddy bear. These stuffed toys are synonymous with Harrods and have become highly sought after.

There are annual bears, holiday-themed bears, London-inspired bears, and even other creatures like Corgis and foxes.

For more London souvenir ideas .

Given its reputation as one of the finest department stores in the world, it's no surprise that the Harrods Christmas shop brands itself as a  Luxury  Christmas Shop.

There are several departments dedicated to Christmas, such as Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations, Christmas foods, and more.

The entire lower ground floor turns into a Winter Wonderland, featuring beautifully decorated trees and the Christmas-time window displays are some of the most incredible in the city.

Find out more about Christmas at Harrods .

Harrods Dress Code and What Not to Bring

Harrods previously had a dress code that resulted in the refusal to admit a number of people including a woman with a "Mohican haircut", a football team in tracksuits, a scout troop, and a soldier in uniform.

Although the dress code has been relaxed, rules still apply.

Visitors will be turned away if they are wearing dirty or unkempt clothing; if they are sweating profusely; if they have bare feet; or if they are wearing swimwear.

Guests are also not permitted inside if they are in possession of the following: wheeled devices (aside from mobility aids), alcoholic beverages, animals (except assistance dogs), large bags, and any product that produces vapour or smoke.

Location, Opening Hours, and Transport

Harrods is located at 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL in Knightsbridge. Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district with high property values and luxury restaurants, 5-star hotels, and flagship fashion stores.

On the edge of Hyde Park, Knightsbridge is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the city.

Due to its rather central location, Harrods can be visited on an itinerary that includes Royal Albert Hall , Hyde Park, and Buckingham Palace .

Opening Hours

Harrods opening hours are as follows:

Monday to Saturday: 10:00 - 21:00

Sundays: 11:30 - 18:00 (Browsing only until 12:00)

Getting There

Because Harrods is centrally located and well-served by public transport, you have many options to travel there.

Nearest Underground Station: Knightsbridge (Piccadilly Line). Harrods has it's own exit at the station.

Bus Routes: 9, 10, 14, 52, 64, 414, 452, C1

We recommend using this Google map for directions to Harrods from anywhere in the London area.

Other Stores Near Harrods

Knightsbridge is full of well-known shops including Harvey Nichols , Burberry, Ted Baker, Tommy Hilfiger, Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Valentino, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi.

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Breaking news, nyc store owner fears business ‘won’t survive’ rampant shoplifting that has occurred since start of migrant crisis.

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The owner of a Queens store located within 13 blocks of 17 migrant shelters says his business “won’t survive” the rampant shoplifting it has had to endure since their arrival.  

Chris Sciacco, the owner of Kaiya’s Pallets at 36-37 31st St. in Long Island City, told The Post his store is targeted as many as six times a week by migrant thieves .

“It’s not fair that these people can come into my store and steal willy-nilly and nothing gets done about it,” said Sciacco.

His variety store is a one-stop shop for food, clothing, electronics and staples such as diapers at wholesale prices — and that could be the reason it’s targeted more often than other retail stores in the nabe. It’s now bleeding at least $3,000 a month, Sciacco said. 

“It’s affecting the business and affecting our overhead,” he said, adding, “I don’t know if we can continue to survive at this rate.”

And if it continues, Sciacco said: “I am going to cancel my lease. I am barely getting by . I don’t see how I can continue at this rate.”

The 4,500-square-foot store opened in 2021 and in its first year in business, they only saw three thefts – two of which appeared to be homeless people who stole a candy bar or two, Sciacco said. 

But since the shelters opened in the past two years, it’s been practically every day – and “small stuff and large stuff” is regularly taken, said Sciacco, who pointed to a trio of examples in just the past two weeks. 

• On Tuesday, a man opened a box containing three bottles of Rogaine, pocketed the bottles – which cost $50 total – and discarded the empty box on another shelf before running out.
• Another thief grabbed a bag of children’s underwear this week, pilfered half the pairs and left the half-empty bag, which was to be sold in bulk, back on the shelf. 
• Video surveillance from July 11 shows a man sauntering inside the store’s entrance around 11:30 a.m., then brazenly walking out with an entire pallet of Gatorade less than a minute later. 

In the hours following the Gatorade theft, “I called [the NYPD] 6 times, waited over 8 hours and not one cop showed up to help me,” Sciacco claimed. 

“I also tried to flag down over 30 cop cars on the street and not one stopped to help me or even see what was wrong,” he seethed. 

And Sciacco said he’s called the NYPD at least a dozen times over the past year when he’s spotted a thief in his store – but claimed none have shown up to investigate, nor have officers followed up on any of the three theft reports he’s filed with the 114th Precinct. 

When he said he reported the most recent theft in-person at the precinct, an officer allegedly told Sciacco, “‘Well, you should hire security.’

“So I explained to [the cop], I’m a one-man band trying to make it in this expensive city – I’m not a corporation that can afford to spend money on those types of hires or I will go out of business,” he said. 

The thieves have also forced Sciacco to change how he does business. 

For example, “We had to start putting the underwear loose over here,” he said, and motioned to a bin full of men’s boxers, which Sciacco started selling individually for $1 instead of in bulk because it was getting stolen at least once a month. 

“The only way to combat the theft and the loss of the whole thing, is by putting [it] loose and keeping it in eyeshot, hoping people won’t steal one [pair] of underwear for $1,” he explained. 

With no end to the rampant theft in sight, Sciacco recently started a “Wall of Shame” where he posts photos of thieves and notes what they stole. 

“It just goes to show that, frankly, people don’t care anymore,” said store manager Bobby Valiente, who showed The Post the baseball bat he is now keeping behind the cash register just in case — but, luckily, has never had to use.

As of Friday, there were a dozen perpetrators featured on the public-facing wall.

The NYPD did not return a request for comment.

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The Buried Book That Helped Ukraine’s Literary Revival

To keep it from Russian forces, a writer hid his last manuscript under a cherry tree. Its rediscovery became part of a flowering of interest in Ukrainian literature.

Volodymyr Vakulenko, the father of the writer of the same name, showing the spot where his son buried his secret diary of occupation. Credit...

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By Andrew E. Kramer and Maria Varenikova

Photographs by Finbarr O’Reilly

Reported from Kharkiv, Ukraine

• July 20, 2024

After Russian forces took control of his village in 2022, Volodymyr Vakulenko, a well-known Ukrainian author, sensed he might soon be arrested. So he buried his new handwritten manuscript in his backyard, under a cherry tree.

Best known in Ukraine for his cheerful and lyrical children’s books, Mr. Vakulenko was seething with anger at Moscow’s occupying forces. As his village lost cellphone service and news from the outside world dried up, he filled his new work with reflective, sometimes morose, descriptions of life under Russian control: people neglecting their flower beds, cooking on campfires as utilities failed, and even fraternizing with the Russians.

Soon enough, Russian soldiers indeed arrested Mr. Vakulenko, and his body later turned up in a mass grave.

Six months later, a fellow Ukrainian author, Viktoria Amelina, learned of the buried book, dug it up, wrote a foreword and sent it to a publisher. But she too was killed, in a missile strike on a pizza restaurant .

In May, in a final blow, Russian missiles blew up the printing plant in Kharkiv that had published the work. That strike killed seven employees, wounded 22 others and took out about a third of Ukraine’s overall book-printing capacity.

Despite the anguish that accompanied it, the book, “I Transform: A Diary of Occupation and Selected Poems,” ended up on shelves of Ukrainian bookstores and is on sale today. Rescued from the dirt, the book stands as a symbol of an enduring Ukrainian literary life even as Russian forces try to snuff it out.

The deaths of Mr. Vakulenko and Ms. Amelina, and the scene of mayhem at the destroyed plant — with burned bodies and books strewed about — have galvanized Ukraine’s publishing community.

“Now, under shelling, there’s an experience of creating under pressure,” said Olena Rybka, an editor at Vivat, the publishing house that printed Mr. Vakulenko’s book. She compared the burst of creativity with an earlier era when Ukrainian authors risked Soviet repression to publish their works.

“Even people who were bored by it in school are interested now,” she said of Ukrainian literature, in an interview at a book reading in Kharkiv, held in a basement for safety.

The demand for books in Ukrainian has persisted, even increased, since the war started, Ms. Rybka and others said. New Ukrainian fiction, nonfiction about the war, translations of global best sellers, popular history and self-help books have all done well, said Serhiy Polituchyi, the founder of Vivat and owner of the damaged printing plant.

Vivat published 279 new Ukrainian-language titles last year, up from 198 in 2021, the year before the invasion. During the war, while other businesses shuttered, new bookstores opened in Kyiv, the capital, and other Ukrainian cities.

Last month, a book fair in Kyiv drew overflowing crowds and included a display of burned books from the printing plant strike in Kharkiv. The Literary Museum in that city runs two writers’ residency programs, which have been filled throughout the war.

But unfortunately for Ukraine’s book market, the hub of both publishing and printing is in Kharkiv, only about 25 miles from the Russian border and at risk now from bombardments and a nearby front line. Some in the literary community believe Russia targeted the printing plant as a means to erode Ukrainian culture.

Mr. Polituchyi’s plant printed about 40 percent of the country’s school textbooks. Textbooks in particular, he said, were a likely target for Russia, which has been sharply critical of Ukraine’s history curriculum in schools.

The tale of how Mr. Vakulenko’s work made it to stores underscores the resolve of Ukraine’s book industry — and the perseverance of Ms. Amelina.

She did not know Mr. Vakulenko before his disappearance, according to Ms. Rybka, the book editor, who knew them both. But Ms. Amelina shared her fellow writer’s passion for the Ukrainian cause and took personal risks to advance it. She promoted awareness of the war in writers’ circles internationally and assisted a nongovernmental group, Truth Hounds, that documents Russian war crimes.

Deeply troubled by Mr. Vakulenko’s disappearance, Ms. Amelina became fixated on his fate, agitating for rights groups to ascertain if he was in Russian captivity.

Ms. Amelina found the manuscript by chance after the Ukrainian Army reclaimed Mr. Vakulenko’s village, Kapitolivka, southeast of Kharkiv, in September 2022. She visited the author’s father, Volodymyr, to document the writer’s abduction for Truth Hounds. The father told her of the buried manuscript, and the two dug it up together.

Kapitolivka

In her foreword, Ms. Amelina described looking at the bundle of papers in a plastic bag and thinking of Ukrainian writers murdered in a Soviet crackdown in the 1930s. Those rounded up in mass arrests and killed in gulags became known as Ukraine’s executed renaissance.

“My biggest fear is coming true,” Ms. Amelina wrote in the introduction. “Like in the 1930s, Ukrainian artists are killed, their manuscripts vanish and memories about them fade.”

“It was a sign of her humanity,” Ms. Rybka said of Ms. Amelina’s determination to have the manuscript published. “She was always fully engaged. She always wanted to help. That is why we are so sorry she died.”

Before the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Mr. Vakulenko had written children’s books like “The Sun’s Family” and “Three Snow Stories.” He also published poems, some for children. His buried manuscript, “I Transform,” chronicled the arrival of Russian soldiers in his village at the outset of the invasion. The title refers to a poem he wrote before the invasion foreseeing his work as “doomed” by the war that would sweep over his country.

Living with his father and his young autistic son in a brick house with a shady, overgrown back yard, he had watched the Russian soldiers rumble into the village, setting up checkpoints, looting abandoned houses and arresting anyone suspected of pro-Ukrainian views.

Throughout the book, he wrote of the hardships and trauma of war for regular Ukrainians, who had to deal with the Russian occupation on top of the challenges and vulnerabilities of their everyday lives. He wrote of teaching his son, Vitaly, to drop to the ground during bombardments.

“Vitalka and I had repeatedly practiced the command, ‘Get the heck down!’” he wrote. “Children with his autistic makeup cannot understand why one is not allowed to lie prone in the dirt one minute, and the next it’s the opposite. Actually, Vitalka was the one who made it positive, as reaction to indirect fire became a fun exercise to him.”

Mr. Vakulenko tried to help the Ukrainian Army. He wrote of walking to Ukrainian lines together with his son, when this was still possible, to hand out cigarettes and food.

Later, he worried about being arrested for his pro-Ukrainian views despite efforts to keep them secret. “In case I get taken prisoner: I don’t know anything, my telephone has been wiped and I don’t discuss these topics on social media with anyone,” he wrote.

But he worried about the fate of his new work, “I Transform.”

“I realize that these manuscripts may end up in the hands of the F.S.B.,” he wrote, referring to the Russian intelligence agency.

Soldiers questioned Mr. Vakulenko after a fellow villager informed on him, the father said. Worried they would find his manuscript and destroy it, or rewrite it and use it as Russian propaganda, he buried it under the cherry tree. “He knew he would be taken,” the father said.

Mr. Vakulenko was arrested on March 24, 2022. That May, a villager found his body in a forest, his father said. The Russian occupation authorities eventually retrieved it and put his body, along with more than 400 others from the area, in a site of mass and unmarked graves in the eastern town of Izium.

After the Ukrainian Army drove the Russians out of the region, war crimes investigators excavated the site and found Mr. Vakulenko in a grave marked number 319. His remains were identified by DNA analysis. An autopsy found that he had been shot at close range with a pistol and that bullets hit his left arm and torso, according to a report by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office .

Later that fall, after ensuring “I Transform” was published, Ms. Amelina was mortally wounded in a missile strike on the pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, while guiding Colombian writers on a tour of frontline areas. She died later in a hospital.

Mr. Vakulenko’s father is grateful that Ukrainians can read his son’s book, but acknowledged his pride was tempered by the string of tragedies that led to its publication.

“I read it and cried,” he said.

Andrew E. Kramer is the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, who has been covering the war in Ukraine since 2014. More about Andrew E. Kramer

Maria Varenikova covers Ukraine and its war with Russia. More about Maria Varenikova

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Taylor swift's surprise songs from night 2 of the eras tour in gelsenkirchen, including two mashups, share this article.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour continued its international journey on Thursday night in Germany (afternoon in the United States) with the second of three shows in Gelsenkirchen. The now 14-time Grammy winner will be touring almost non-stop for the entire year, and at each show she adds two “surprise songs” to her 44-song, three hour plus set list.

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For the second night in Gelsenkirchen, Swift continued the double mashups that she loves so much. On guitar, she played “Speak Now” from Speak Now combined with “Hey Stephen” from Fearless. On piano, Swift went with a mashup of “This Is Me Trying” from Folklore   and “Labyrinth” from Midnights. 

🏟️ | Night 2 surprise songs Piano: “Speak Now" x "Hey Stephen” Guitar: “this is me trying" x "Labyrinth” #GelsenkirchenTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/SJbEHuGBlL — Taylor Swift Updates (@TSwiftLA) July 18, 2024

Next up, Swift has one more show in Gelsenkirchen before heading to Hamburg.

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BOF: Harrods is the Most Famous Department Store in the World. But That's Not Enough

December 16, 2019 by Robert Burke Associates

BOF | SARAH SHANNON

The iconic department store has initiated a £300 million refurbishment and a digital upgrade to attract a new generation of luxury customers. BoF sat down with Managing Director Michael Ward to unpack the strategy.

LONDON, United Kingdom — Harrods may be the largest upscale department store in Great Britain, taking up a full block of London’s Knightsbridge neighbourhood, but in a rapidly changing retail landscape where experience, newness and digitisation are key, its stuffy take on luxury is looking outdated.

So Harrods is playing catch-up in an effort to maintain its status as a mecca for the mega-rich, kicked off by a £300 million, three-year redevelopment, the largest capital expenditure in its history. There’s a new experiential beauty hall, a revamped menswear floor that adds 50 percent extra space, new fine jewellery and watches halls and four refurbished food halls — all designed to target the next generation of luxury shoppers. The wealthy ones, that is.

“We want to make sure, for that top-level customer, we give them [the] most excellent service, the most amazing product, in the best environment anywhere in the world,” Harrods Managing Director Michael Ward said in his office atop the six-storey, one million square foot store. The company’s VIP customers have 150 personal shoppers to cater to their every whim — tourists visiting the food hall are less of a priority.

Harrods’ focus on the future comes as department stores globally face a challenging retail landscape. UK department stores sales dropped 2 percent in the third quarter (the biggest decline since the first three months of 2009, when Britain was mired in recession). It’s a similarly tough environment for US rivals like Saks,  Nordstrom  and Bergdorf Goodman, who have also invested heavily in splashy renovations and taken risks on new models like rental pop-ups. (Some have gone bankrupt along the way, including fashion industry favourite  Barneys New York .)

Keeping its ultra high-net-worth customers happy has been a long-standing mission for Harrods, resulting in 10 years of consecutive sales growth. In 2018, annual revenue hit £868.6 million ($1.2 billion), although profits were down 3 percent to £171.6 million ($229 million). (Profits were impacted by increased costs attributed to the renovation.)

But the last decade is just a short chapter in Harrods’ history book. The store has served the upper echelons of society since 1849, and tales of Harrods’ famously wealthy clientele are etched in folklore. Oscar Wilde ran a tab there, lion cubs used to be sold in the exotic pet store and, following the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in 1997, eccentric ex-owner Mohammed Al Fayed installed a memorial that became a popular tourist attraction.

Under the ownership of Egyptian billionaire Al Fayed, Harrods began to struggle. In the 1990s, the building was tired and underinvested, and rivals Selfridges and neighbouring Harvey Nichols quickly took market share with a more contemporary look and offer. By 2000, profits tumbled 50 percent to £20.2 million ($26.6 million).

Sales began to improve over the next decade as Al Fayed homed in on Harrods’ uber-wealthy customers (both domestic and those from China and the Middle East) and their penchant for prestige brands across lifestyle categories, from Dior tableware to Loro Piana childrenswear.

In 2010, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund stepped in with a £1.5 billion takeover ($2 billion) to become the store’s fifth owner. While widely seen as a “trophy” asset, it has yielded a £125 million ($167 million) annual dividend for the near-decade of ownership. Former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani is still a director, but the owners have little involvement and Ward, who joined in 2006, has been tasked with running the business.

“The underlying values, and all the things that made Harrods — whether it was customer or staff — nothing changed, so actually [the Qatari ownership] made no difference,” he said.

Of course, the business has evolved under their ownership. Like many of its competitors, Harrods has wooed the booming Chinese luxury consumer, now its largest customer demographic. The retailer is currently planning its first “residence” in the mainland, set to open next year. The permanent, invitation-only shopping space in Shanghai will cater to several hundred private clients, but it’s a small move at just 5,000 square feet and will hold no inventory.

Since the advent of e-commerce, retailers have tried a host of tricks to get shoppers back into their stores. As rivals like Selfridges have turned to pop-ups, cinemas and fresh new brands to build excitement and lure younger shoppers, Harrods has stuck with its traditional model of in-store luxury brand concessions.

“What is important is a unique and exclusive product, because newness is lovely but the growth is coming in really strong power brands and that is what that elite customer wants,” Ward says. “It’s not about newness....”

But sticking to the same formula isn’t without risks.

“When I look at Saks Fifth’s ground floor renovation or [its] beauty hall or Selfridges’ accessories area or body studio or new designer showcase, they’re taking a lot more chances,” said retail advisor Robert Burke.

While Selfridges remodelled to give visibility across brands — with fewer physical barriers between shop-in-shops and concession stands — Harrods allows each brand to outfit its shop-in-shop, leaving the overall customer experience relatively disjointed.

Both department stores have posted strong sales growth, but last year Selfridges profit also fell, dipping 6 percent to £170 million pounds on store refurbishment costs.

While Ward argues Harrods is not about “newness,” the exception is its new 90,000 square-foot beauty hall. As the biggest seller of beauty products in the UK, with 9.3 percent market share according to The NPD Group, Harrods’ has expanded both in footprint and product offering, a move it hopes will attract younger shoppers.

There’s a skincare hall with “clean” brands, young, on-trend ranges like La Bouche Rouge vegan lipsticks, 13 in-store treatment rooms and an auditorium for masterclass demonstrations by makeup artists — including  Charlotte Tilbury  and Christian Dior’s Peter Phillips — that will be broadcast to Harrods’ 1.5 million Instagram followers starting next year. It’s the most experiential part of the renovation and according to Beauty Director Annalise Fard, has already “exceeded expectations.”

While Harrods has differentiated itself from competitors by not opening other outposts, aside from a handful of airport concessions with Harrods-branded merchandise, it is expanding its beauty footprint by opening two H Beauty concept stores outside London. The aim, Fard said, is to fill the “white space” that the closure of mid-range UK department stores Debenhams and House of Fraser have left. Still, analysts have reacted sceptically to the glitz-free suburban locations.

Also set for an update is Harrods’ website, which will relaunch next year in partnership with  Farfetch , adopting an “e-concession” approach. Brands will provide the products, prices, photography and fulfilment and Harrods will be the conduit. The store’s editorial team has been bulked up to build online content.

Harrods won’t break out digital sales, although Ward does concede the pre-existing site “isn’t something we are proud of.” The retailer was reluctant to invest in e-commerce technology itself, but catering to a young luxury audience needs better digital communication and an engaging online offering is vital.

Ward said Harrods is “over-indexed on millennial customers” without providing figures, and added that social media “noise” isn’t important to the store because they are interested in focusing on the very wealthy, not mass market.

“We have got huge growth continuing from this business,” he said. “The rich are getting richer and the brands get stronger and therefore we play in the right area: the fastest-growing consumer segment with the fastest-growing product segment.”

That may be fine for now, but questions remain if Harrods is doing enough to attract the next generation of luxury shoppers. While it shouldn’t be going after the same Gen-Z cool as Selfridges, argued British retail consultant Richard Hyman, “they do need to have a younger feel about them. It’s rather middle-aged and a bit safe.”

Department stores all over the world offer the same brands, Hyman added, so the challenge is in making the shopping experience stand out.

“In my opinion, it is the biggest retail brand in the world,” he said. “Harrods really is unique, it’s just their ambitions are very modest.”

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Mexico City store hopes to rival Harrods and Neiman Marcus

El palacio de hierro - in the mexican capital's prosperous polanco neighborhood - is five times bigger than the neiman marcus in downtown dallas..

By Jay Jones|Special Contributor

11:10 AM on May 23, 2017 CDT

"We're not a mall," Carlos Salcido, the luxury department store's chief marketing officer, said emphatically.

While seated on the store's expansive terrace drinking coffee, Salcido's words are occasionally drowned out by the drone of helicopters landing or taking off from two rooftop heliports. One is reserved for the store's owner, the other for VIP customers.

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Five times the size of Neiman Marcus

El Palacio de Hierro's flagship store is much more than your typical department store. At 645,000 square feet, it is exactly five times the size of the Neiman Marcus grande dame in downtown Dallas. It also wears the crown of Latin America's largest upscale department store.

It's hard to imagine shutting down an entire store to remodel it, but that's exactly what happened in 2015, for almost the entire year. The result is a $300 million face-lift that's appealing  to well-heeled locals and  also visitors.

Salcido encourages international travelers to spend a few hours -- and more than just a few pesos -- at the Polanco landmark with its pyramid-style tower. He hopes to make it a must-see attraction in Mexico City, not unlike Harrods in London .

The London landmark is 50 percent larger, but El Palacio de Hierro -- named Palace of Steel after its original 19th century location downtown -- is poised to entice out-of-towners.

In the Lego store, for example, shoppers are greeted by vivid, life-size replicas of characters from the new Batman movie. "In Harrods," Salcido said, "they [Lego] have a tiny space, not customized like here."

A Latin American experience

"The experience is different," the marketing exec said. "It's a reflection of Latin America." As proof, he pointed to Ralph Lauren's outpost at El Palacio, noting that the clothing sold is often unlike that found north of the border. The styles, he added, are "more adapted to Latin tastes."

American shoppers will also find boutiques with names they've probably never heard of. There's 925, where jewelry crafted from nearly pure Mexican silver is sold. There's also Pineda Covalin , a Mexican accessories shop. Its only U.S. locations are in New York's Soho and Miami's Coconut Grove.

While the biggest share of merchandise comes from Asia, Mexican fashion designers including   Paola Hernandez and Alexia Ulibarri are well-represented. The combination of a strong dollar and the refundable 8.9 percent  sales tax can result in some bargains.

Daring dining 

Walking around the massive store (electric scooters are available from the concierge desk), shoppers can work up an appetite. It can be sated at the food court with choices from around the world, but also at the posh Prendes and the mid-range Cantina restaurants. The menu at the latter features tempting, tapas-sized offerings such as duck enchiladas and octopus tacos.

Brave diners can also order chalupas con escamoles, a dish popular in central Mexico. It features corn empanadas topped with avocado slices and escamoles , the larvae of giant ants harvested from the roots of agave plants.

After eating ant eggs, a glass of either tequila or mescal, both of which are distilled from the agave, may be advisable. Dozens of varieties of both liquors are for sale in the mercantile palace.

Exploring Polanco

Beyond El Palacio de Hierro, there's much more to see and do in Polanco. Once primarily a residential neighborhood, it's now the commercial heart of the city.

Located about 11 miles from the airport, Polanco features hotels such as Hyatt Regency, Intercontinental, JW Marriott and W. They're all close to Bosque de Chapultepec , a park twice the size of New York's Central Park. Chapultepec is home to Mexico's most-visited museum, the excellent National Museum of Anthropology . Also nearby is the architecturally stunning Soumaya Museum , commissioned by Carlos Slim to house his vast art collection. It includes works by Dali, Picasso and van Gogh.

The Mexico City likeness of Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive, Avenida Presidente Masaryk, runs through Polanco. It's home to stores such as Cartier, Hermes and Louis Vuitton as well as Jaguar and Porsche dealerships.

Amid the pricey retail outlets along Masaryk is one of the country's finest hotels, Las Alcobas . The five-star hotel has just 35 rooms, but they're oversized and luxurious. The hotel's Anatol restaurant features seasonal offerings that are both delicious and remarkably inexpensive.

Jay Jones is a freelance writer in Las Vegas.

Jay Jones|Special Contributor

Harrods is opening an ultra-exclusive members club in Shanghai that costs from $21,000 a year and is limited to 250 people

• Harrods is opening an exclusive member's club in Shanghai that costs from $21,000 yearly.
• The club will be home to British chef Gordan Ramsay's first restaurant in the city. 
• Harrods is looking to attract China's ultra-wealthy who have an appetite for luxury. 

London's most iconic department store is making moves in China. 

Harrods announced Tuesday that it will open a new private member's club in Shanghai at the end of 2023 in a bid to appeal to the country's ultra-rich consumers. It will be reserved for 250 members and costs 150,000 yuan, or $21,000 a year.

The club, known as The Residence, is located on the second floor of Cha House – a well-known building in the middle of the city. This building is already home to Harrods Tea Room and Piano Bar, both of which are open to the public. 

Harrods said in a press release Tuesday that The Residence will host celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant in Shanghai to offer a high-end "British dining" experience. Members will also be able to sample some of the rarest bottles of alcohol via its partnership with Scottish whisky company Edrington Group. 

The Chinese market is an important customer base for Harrods. The company's managing director Michael Ward told Bloomberg that these shoppers made up 16% of Harrods' sales in 2022.

In the past, Chinese shoppers had largely shopped for luxury items abroad but increasingly the tide has turned, and mainland China is becoming a more important market for luxury shopping. 

"We always knew that shopping would go back to China," Ward told Bloomberg. "We want to have a base to be able to maintain that relationship as we have really great customers in China."

According to estimates from Business of Fashion , Chinese luxury spending is expected to reach $107 billion by 2025. By 2027, BoF estimates that two-thirds of luxury purchases will be made within mainland China and one-third outside. 

Watch: Sneaky ways stores like H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo get you to spend more money on clothes

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