Chelsea Insider Low - Cadogan

68 | SHOPPING | Spotlight on shopsShop and awePeter JonesSpotlighton shopsAs well as being home to some of theworld’s most famous stores (Harrodsand Harvey Nicks being just two), thearea also boasts small but brilliantboutiques. We’ve picked out just a fewin our Spotlight on Shops – for more,see the Shopping directory, page 73Department storesHarrodsA five-minute walk from its rival HarveyNichols, Harrods is a famously upmarketdepartment store. It is enormous,covering 4.5 acres, with seven floors.Its history is as rich as its décor.Charles Henry Harrod opened a wholesalegrocers with a special interest in teain 1834 in the East End of London, andmoved to a single room in Knightsbridgein 1849 to capitalise on the GreatExhibition in Hyde Park in 1851. Thebusiness expanded under the leadershipof Harrod’s son, Charles Digby Harrod,and it took over adjacent buildings,becoming a thriving department store.Disaster struck in December 1883when the entire store burned to theground but, incredibly, Charles still fulfilledall of his customers’ Christmasdeliveries, making record profits. Thestore was rebuilt with the help of architectCharles William Stephens, who gaveit a grand style.By the 1890s, Harrods had become apublic company and, in 1898, it installedone of the world’s first escalators – witha brandy for nervous customers at thetop.In the Second World War, Harrodsturned its focus from luxury goods toproducing uniforms, parachutes andparts for Lancaster bombers.The House of Fraser Group boughtHarrods in 1959 and the young fashionboutique Way In opened there in 1967.The store returned to private ownershipin 1985 when it was bought byMohamed Al Fayed and his brother Ali.They implemented a £300 million refurbishmentplan. In 2010, Qatar HoldingHarrodsbought Harrods for £1.5 billion.The store has suffered two IRA attacksin its history – one in 1983, when a carbomb exploded in an adjacent street,and one in 1993, when a bomb was putin a bin outside.In addition to its reputation for luxurygoods, Harrods is known for its lavishstyle and famous food halls, which are ajoy to wander around. It also has a hugerange of restaurants and cafés and evenhas a tasting room for wine samplingand dining.The store has a dress code whichasks that all clothing is clean and presentable,not too revealing and thatappropriate footwear is worn. Small bagsand rucksacks are allowed, but large