Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason : luxury is reborning in London

[vc_row njt-role=”people-in-the-roles” njt-role-user-roles=”administrator,armember”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The three grandes dames of London retail Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason finally reopened their doors yesterday Monday June 15th after a forced closure late March due to the pandemic. The luxury industry is thus regaining some colour in the British capital after three months of agony, even if safety standards remain a major challenge for these luxury retailers, which normally attract several thousand visitors a day.

Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason are symbols of luxury in London, renowned for their selection of premium brands and their international clientele.

These famous and emblematic brands had to close their doors to visitors from all over the world on March 23rd due to the devastating coronavirus pandemic, which pull the fashion and luxury industry down for many weeks.

But as England took a new step towards lifting containment measures yesterday Monday June 15, “non-essential” businesses – including luxury department stores – were finally able to reopen their doors.

With a major challenge to be met: to ensure compliance with safety and hygiene rules in areas usually hosting thousands of daily shoppers.

These mythical retailers then had to comply with a set of rules before they could reopen.

At Harrods, the temple of luxury shopping, technology is now being used to regulate attendance and ensure that social distance is maintained within the building. Customers can still try on clothes, shoes and watches, but these will be quarantined directly if they are not finally purchased. The beauty salon and the wellness centre, unable at this stage to ensure the safety of customers, remain closed.

Managing Director Michael Ward wants to reassure future customers : “The significant new measures we have introduced will allow customers to shop safely at Harrods without any compromise on experience, product or service. While the challenges of the past few months continue to affect us all enormously, we at Harrods look to the future with optimism. We have a new season to share, innovative projects coming up, and we’re excited to serve and support our community once again“.

Selfridges, London’s luxury department store par excellence, has set up disinfection stations as well as signs reminding people of the protective measures in its 50,000 m2 of surface area and has even implemented one-way paths. The number of guests will be limited to 2,000 at a time and they will have to stand two metres away from each other, including on the newly marked escalators to move from one floor to the next.

Fortnum & Mason, a symbol of British culture and renowned for the high quality of its luxury products, has also reopened after “rigorous controls to ensure safety of staff and customers” according to Fortnum & Mason sales director Lucy Williams. An especially delicate reopening as the luxury delicatessen houses entire floors dedicated to food that require high levels of vigilance.

However, these famous luxury brands intend to overcome these difficulties and are betting on a triumphant comeback after weeks of frustration.

They want to bring the consumer back to the shopping experience and be like an outlet for them after three months of isolation and repressed desires: “We’ve been through some tough times, but we want customers to have a happy time again and see the best products” said CEO Michael Ward, and Selfridges store manager Meave Wall said she wants to bring a “joyful experience to returning customers“.

It is then full of optimism and a thirst for revenge about the future that London’s three luxury retailers are gradually starting to buzz again in the heart of the vibrant capital.

Featured photo : © Harrods[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row njt-role=”not-logged-in”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The three grandes dames of London retail Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason finally reopened their doors yesterday Monday June 15th after a forced closure late March due to the pandemic. The luxury industry is thus regaining some colour in the British capital after three months of agony, even if safety standards remain a major challenge for these luxury retailers, which normally attract several thousand visitors a day.

Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason are symbols of luxury in London, renowned for their selection of premium brands and their international clientele.

[…][/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”This article is for subscribers only.” h2_font_container=”font_size:16″ h2_use_theme_fonts=”yes” h4=”Subscribe now!” h4_font_container=”font_size:32|line_height:bas” h4_use_theme_fonts=”yes” txt_align=”center” color=”black” add_button=”right” btn_title=”I SUBSCRIBE!” btn_color=”danger” btn_size=”lg” btn_align=”center” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” use_custom_fonts_h4=”true” btn_button_block=”true” btn_custom_onclick=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftest2023.luxus-plus.com%2Fen%2Fabonnements-et-newsletter-2%2F|||”]Unlimited access to all the articles and live a new reading experience, preview contents, exclusive newsletters…

Already have an account? Log in.

[/vc_cta][vc_column_text]Featured photo : © Harrods[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row njt-role=”people-in-the-roles” njt-role-user-roles=”customer”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The three grandes dames of London retail Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason finally reopened their doors yesterday Monday June 15th after a forced closure late March due to the pandemic. The luxury industry is thus regaining some colour in the British capital after three months of agony, even if safety standards remain a major challenge for these luxury retailers, which normally attract several thousand visitors a day.

Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason are symbols of luxury in London, renowned for their selection of premium brands and their international clientele.

Already have an account? Log in.