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An iconic London luxury retailer, this company grew from a small 19th-century shop into one of the world’s best-known department stores. Its history blends grand architecture, changing ownership, and a long reputation for high-end service and spectacle.
Founded by Charles Henry Harrod in 1849, Harrods began as a grocery business and expanded over time into a landmark department store in Knightsbridge, London. The present building, designed by C. W. Stephens, opened in 1905 after an earlier store on the site was destroyed by fire in 1881.
Over the years, Harrods became closely associated with luxury retail, with hundreds of departments and an international reputation that reaches far beyond the UK. The business has changed hands several times, including ownership by the Fayed family and, more recently, Qatar Holding.
Today, Harrods Limited remains part of a larger group centered on the famous Knightsbridge store. Rather than an author in the usual sense, it is a historic company and brand whose story reflects the evolution of modern department-store shopping.