People tend to visit department stores for various activities like shopping and eating. London is a hub for Europe’s best department stores that entertain many people, irrespective of their age and varied interests, based on fashion, food, brands, and even the architectural brilliance that now houses multiple shops.
Famous Department Stores in London
1. Harrods
Harrods is not only the best department store in London but also the best in Britain. It provides high-end services. Like any other luxury department store, it houses multiple lavish stores, restaurants, beauty salons, and a bank.
Though the store now emphasizes high-fashion clothing, it still sells gourmet food items. The aesthetics and setup of the store are exceptional, and they tend to keep you occupied if you adore interior designs.
Harrods is a must-visit for any shopping enthusiast, but for those not even interested in shopping, Harrod is the best place to walk around for free. Furthermore, they are known to have amazing customer service, so you can call it the ideal tourist spot.
2. Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is a well-known luxury fashion retailer with around 14 stores worldwide. The headquarters are located in London. The department store they have set up in London is their best.
It is a hub for fashion freaks, and of course, it offers more than just fashion. Their food hall and beauty department are appealingly high-class.
Though smaller than Harrods or Selfridges, it looks phenomenal at night with all the windows and lights and is a must-visit place if you are ever in the area.
3. Selfridges
Selfridges is a place you must visit if you pass by Oxford Street. It is a beautiful architectural piece that might inspire awe. After Harrods, it is the second-largest shop in the UK and provides almost all the same facilities.
Selfridges is busy all year round as it attracts shoppers and architectural enthusiasts from across the globe. It is on par with other luxury department stores in terms of the high-end fashion it provides alongside the variety of amazing restaurants and beauty departments it hosts.
For various reasons, Selfridges can be considered a must-visit spot if you are touring around London, admiring the distinctive aesthetics and extravagant expenditures it tends to offer.
4. Peter Jones & Partners
Peter Jones & Partners is situated in Sloane Square and holds two Royal Warrants (a warrant given to those who supply goods to the royal family). The variety of fashion, technology, and home décor options the department store provides is exceptional and worth at least a try.
The store consists of 8 floors offering quality and entertaining customers with varied needs. The food and drinks in the in-store café and restaurants are worth noting, along with the store’s other personal styling and fashion options.
If you are touring around Central London and are willing to spend some money while you go around walking in a department store, then Peter Jones & Partners is one of the best options out there.
5. Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason was founded in 1707 as a grocery store providing quality food, and gradually, the store’s reputation continued building. It brought it to where it currently stands as one of the best department stores in London. Furthermore, they have been the royal grocer for more than 150 years.
If you are to visit Fortnum & Mason, then the afternoon tea served in “Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon” is a must-try alongside all the other luxury food items they tend to sell in a wide range all through the store.
However, compared to Harrods, the overall shopping experience at Fortnum & Mason does not seem like much, but it is less expensive and offers more variety of groceries.
6. Liberty
Liberty is a well-known designer department store that sells luxury brands. Compared to all the other department stores mentioned, Liberty is most connected to art and culture and is extremely famous for the bold and floral print fabrics it sells.
The store is mock Tudor-based and is designed in a refined manner. Liberty is located on the west end of London, which you would go through at least once if you were touring around London. Adding it to your list of must-visit places is a brilliant idea as it would give you a luxurious shopping experience in a place imbued with British heritage.
7. Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market is another department store that houses diverse shops offering everything. Though it is not tagged as the best store, it is still a place you would enjoy visiting, especially with all the cafes and tea rooms around the stores.
The department store was built around 2004 and has become one of London’s most celebrated department stores.
Furthermore, Dover Street Market is referred to as one of the first concept stores. So, if you are around Piccadilly, London, and are on a shopping spree, visiting it would be a pleasant and eventful experience.
All the departments mentioned above stores are uniquely appealing and abiding by the task of entertaining customers for decades. So, if you are out there roaming around London trying to find places that would pique your interest, then visiting one of these places is a must.
These department stores offer so much more than food and clothing. They are a world in themselves. Make sure to check these places out and pick items of your choice. Do not miss out on their luxury sections either —they are incredible, too!
Last Updated on by Annanyaa