Harrods

Harrods is a large luxury department store on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London. It stands on a five-acre site in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The present building opened in 1905, replacing an earlier shop founded in 1849 by Charles Henry Harrod. That first store burned down in 1881 and was rebuilt quickly. The building is Grade II* listed and covers more than 100,000 square metres of selling space. It is the largest department store in Europe and attracts about fifteen million visitors each year. The store has a long history of serving famous customers. Oscar Wilde, Charlie Chaplin and Queen Elizabeth II all shopped here. The first Peter Rabbit soft toys appeared in Harrods catalogues in 1910. In 1921 A. A. Milne bought a teddy bear that later became Winnie-the-Pooh. Agatha Christie remembered the Christmas displays as a child. Harrods installed England’s first escalator in 1898, offering brandy to nervous riders at the top. Inside, visitors find over 330 departments arranged across several floors. The Food Halls remain well known for their wide selection. There are 23 restaurants serving meals from high tea to haute cuisine. Personal shopping assistance, watch repairs, a tailor and a beauty spa are available. Outside, the store fronts Brompton Road with its grand entrance. The Egyptian Escalator leads to a memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed.