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HARRODS LONDON,
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The motto of Harrods London is Omnia Omnibus Ubique—All Things for All People, Everywhere.
Harrods London, is the most famous store in the world. Certainly the largest and most famous in Britain. Many visitors to London have Harrods of London close to the top of their 'must-see' lists.
Occupying a huge 5 acre site in London's Knightsbridge, it has over 330 departments spread over it's 90,000 square metres of selling space, offering an extraordinary range of products and services.
The products on offer include Clothing for Men, Women, Children and Infants, Designers, Electronics, Toys, Food and Drink, Health and Beauty, Houseware, Home Appliances, Furniture, Sporting Gear, jewellry, Bridal, Pets and much much more.
There are many restaurants in Harrods London, which serve anything from pub food, tapas, haute cuisine and high tea and with upwards of three hundred thousand customers visiting the store on peak days, Harrods employs over five thousand staff from over fifty different countries to cater for the large number of customers coming from none English speaking countries.
The founder Charles Henry Harrod, began his business life by setting up a shop in the Borough High Street, Southwark, south of the River Thames in 1824.
After opening grocery businesses in Clerkenwell and Stepney, he left the inner city areas and took over a small shop on the site of the present store on Brompton Road, Knightsbridge in 1849. It was a very small operation, employing only three people and occupying a single room on the premises.
It was Harrod's son Charles Digby Harrod who built the business into a thriving enterprise which was then far too large for the premises it occupied.
He had to expand and did so by acquiring the adjoining properties on either side. By the year 1880 Harrod's were employing one hundred personnel.
When the Harrods London store was destroyed by fire in December 1883, Charles Harrod remarkably fulfilled all his commitments to make deliveries in time for Christmas that same year and in so doing made record profits.
From the ashes of Harrods London arose a new building. The new Harrods of London extended credit to their very best customers which included many members of the Royal Family, Lillie Langtry (the mistress of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII), Charlie Chaplin, Sigmund Freud and much later, stars such as Laurence Olivier Vivien Leigh and many many more famous names.
Harrods of London became the first place in England to have escalators when it installed moving staircases in their store. Customers were offered brandy when they reached the top in order to calm them after their ordeal.
The Summer and Winter sales at Harrods are calendar events and some fantastic bargains can be obtained, but be warned, both sales are extremely crowded.
Santa's Grotto for the children makes it's annual appearance at Christmas time with a fantastic range of festive decorations. An enchanting time for everyone.
DEFINITELY WORTH A VISIT.
GETTING THERE
Harrods is easy to reach via tube or bus. They also provide a secure valet parking service close to the store.
THE UNDERGROUNDThe nearest tube station to Harrods is Knightsbridge on the Piccadilly line. Use the Brompton Road exit for Harrods.
South Kensington station, on the Piccadilly, District and Circle lines, and Sloane Square, on the District and Circle lines, are just a short walk from the store.
Please check the Transport for London website for the latest travel information and maps.
RED LONDON BUS
Harrods is served by the following London bus routes: 9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 52, 74, 137, 414, C1
Please check the Transport for London website for the latest travel information and maps.
Harrods Valet Parking
Valet ParkingHarrods valet car park is located at Brompton Place, a short walk from the store. To find it using Sat-Nav, please enter postal code SW3 1QE.The following rates apply:
CONGESTION CHARGEHarrods does not fall into the London Congestion Charge zone.For further information please check with Transport for London before travelling.
ESCALATOR CLOSURE
Sections of the escalators at Door 10 in Hans Road will be closed for essential maintenance during the period of 24 January 2011 to 6 August 2011.
The upper floors can be accessed via a staircase at Door 9a in Hans Road, and there are further escalators adjacent to our
Perfumery Halls and at Door 3 in Basil Street and Door 5 in Hans Crescent. In addition, a member of our Door 10 Concierge team will be happy to assist you with directions to any department.
