History, Glamour, Rebellion: Selfridges London has it All

London is packed with history. From royal palaces to ancient pubs, you never have to look far to find a story. But among the museums and monuments, there’s a different kind of historical site hiding in plain sight—Selfridges. The store is more than just a department store. Selfridges is a cultural icon that has changed the way people shop, socialize and experience the city.

Today, the Selfridges store in London is a shopping mecca for designer brands and luxury goods spread over six floors with restaurants, bars, personal shopping and beauty services. It’s also a great place to step into London’s past. So, if you love history and a good underdog story, you’ll want to add this Edwardian-era shopping palace to your London itinerary. (Yup, a department store!)

Who was Harry Gordon Selfridge?

Harry Gordon Selfridge was an American tycoon and a man with a vision. An entrepreneurial sort from an early age, Harry worked his way up at the most successful store in Chicago – Marshall Field and Company. This later became what we know today as Macy’s.

His early life was quite typical of the day. Harry’s father abandoned his wife and three sons after the American Civil War, leaving Harry’s mother to care for the children. Two of his brothers died young, leaving Harry and his mother to care for each other. Harry worked from a young age and amassed a substantial fortune over time. He also married well – his wife, Rose Buckingham, came from a wealthy and prominent Chicago family.

Harry Selfridge had a dream backed by innovation, tenacity and passion. When Harry arrived in London in 1906, he noticed a lack of great shopping galleries and stores. He saw an opportunity to create an enjoyable shopping experience that rivalled those back home and in Paris. That might not sound revolutionary now, but in 1909, it was. Most shops were dull, rigid and not particularly welcoming. Harry changed that.

The history of Selfridges in London

Harry invested £400,000 (an enormous sum at the time) to build his dream store at the less fashionable western end of Oxford Street in London. Designed by American architect Daniel Burnham, the building stood out with its towering columns, elegant interiors, and grand scale, all of which were meant to intrigue.

Harry Selfridge was a brilliant marketer, and he used his skills to the fullest. Taking a chance on the location was a strategic decision that, in a way, was revolutionary. Make them curious enough to come and awe them once they get inside.

He placed adverts and editorial stories in local papers to build anticipation before the store even opened its doors. He penned columns in the paper under a pen name, paid illustrators to create visuals for the papers, and made friends with critical people. When the store finally opened in May 1909, it caused a stir. 

What made Selfridges revolutionary?

By opening his store, Harry Selfridge created a cultural and social phenomenon. He was a genius at anticipating the needs of their customers before they even knew what they wanted. Walking into the Selfridges department store was unlike any other experience. All customers, regardless of social class, were welcomed and invited to browse without pressure to buy.

Harry Selfridge was also an innovator who mastered the art of keeping people entertained. Selfridges was one of the first stores to treat shopping as an event. He introduced ideas that we now take for granted: window displays as art, browsing without pressure, and putting perfume counters near entrances. He introduced rooftop gardens, live music, scientific exhibitions and afternoon teas. It was a theatre-meets-commerce production.

New layout that changed the shopping experience

Before Harry introduced Londoners to his store, shops were seen as places for necessities, and not everyone was allowed inside. You were expected to buy without touching the merchandise. The opening of Selfridges changed that. While shops were selling single-purpose items and keeping everything hidden away, Selfridges made it all accessible. Items were grouped together across five store floors, creating a pleasant sensory experience.

There was even a library, unique reception rooms, elegant yet affordable restaurants, and many other features designed to keep customers in the store for as long as possible. Strategically placed soft lighting added to the ambiance while shoppers perused different items they didn’t know they needed.

One of the game changers was moving the perfume counter to the front and centre of the shopping floor. Perfume counters were highly profitable, and this strategy proved so successful that it remains a staple of today’s department stores. The perfume also masked the smell of horse manure coming from the streets every time the door opened. It was a great decision.

Support for women’s empowerment

Having been raised by a single mother and surrounded by women all his life (wife, daughters and mistresses) made Harry more attuned to their needs. Selfridges employed many women, and Harry himself was a big supporter of the Suffragette movement. His store, with its window displays championing their cause, was the only shop on Oxford Street not to have its windows smashed by the Suffragettes as they demonstrated for their cause.

The store became a safe place for women to gather and indulge. It was also one of the few public spaces where women could gather safely without a male escort, a revolutionary development in the early 20th century. At Selfridges, they could socialize with ease, shop and enjoy the company of their friends without the constrictions of society.  

Selfridge’s iconic window displays

Today, window displays are a common practice. From small shops to large department stores, windows aim to bring people inside. Harry Selfridge made them into an art form. From the dramatic unveiling of the windows on its opening day, they played a role in the customer experience in his store.

The Selfridges window displays were the first step of the theatrical-like experience of shopping at the store. You can imagine how enthralling they must have looked to the people of London. It was a novelty never seen before, and it worked just as Harry intended. Even if you couldn’t afford to buy anything, you could still be part of the experience from the outside. It was genius.

Harry’s legacy

Harry Selfridge created a legacy. He was a savvy businessman, marketer and showman. A creative storyteller who made the shoppers part of the show. He created seasonal sales, emphasized customer service and supported causes he believed in. The Selfridge department store continues that tradition by championing the Project Ocean initiative to protect oceans from pollution and over-fishing.

Many things we take for granted when shopping today stem from Harry’s philosophy that the shopping experience should be enjoyable. From advertisements, sales and markdowns to store layouts and merchandise display, it all goes back to a man with a dream who took London by storm.

The later years

The store wowed people for decades and received the title of the Best Department Store in the World four times. The Great Depression, however, took a toll on the store, and so did Harry’s debts. Forced out by the board in 1941, Harry died in 1947 of bronchial pneumonia at age 89.

The Selfridges stores were owned by a series of different companies, including the John Lewis Partnership and the Sears group, which Charles Clore and Diadora owned. In 2003, Canadian businessman Galen Weston acquired the stores for approximately £598 million. However, the Weston family later sold the majority of the Selfridges Group to a Thai conglomerate, Central Group and Austria’s Signa Holdings in 2022. 

Selfridges today

On the outside, Selfridges is a massive building with columns, oversized windows, and many flags on its roof. Today, this area is far from undesirable. It’s hard to imagine what it looked like in Harry’s days. His investment has paid off, and his name continues to carry the luxury and service he envisioned.

Inside, numerous renovations and improvements (hello escalators) have changed the layout from the original design. I can see how Londoners of the 1900s would have felt walking into a place like this. This would have been jaw-dropping awesome with fancy displays, luxurious items, and a strategically staged atmosphere. Like a magical fantasy world. No wonder they stayed and stayed.

The shopping options are endless. Name a designer, and I’m sure it’s here. You can walk for hours between displays, mannequins and merchandise right at your fingertips. It’s not that much different from any other department store I’ve ever been to from that perspective. However, when you understand the history behind the store, it provides a different perspective during your visit.

Bringing it together

I had a fun time visiting Selfridges. It was probably because I had watched the show and was familiar with its history. You can experience a place differently depending on how much you know about it, and this was one of those places. If I had walked in without any previous knowledge, it would have been just a giant department store with interesting decor pieces and tons of people. Now, if you decide to stop by, you’ll know more about the store’s early days.

Tips for visiting:

• Look up: The building’s facade and window displays are always changing.
• Visit the rooftop (seasonal): There are often unique pop-ups or art events.
• Stop by the food hall for a taste of British and international fare.
• Pair your visit with nearby cultural spots like the Wallace Collection or Wigmore Hall.

You don’t have to buy a thing to enjoy it. But you will come away with a new appreciation for what a department store can be. Selfridges isn’t just for shoppers. It’s for storytellers, history lovers and curious wanderers, too.