Harrods started as a single-room grocer in 1849, but has grown to become a seller of luxury brands and one in its own right. The company employs more than 4,000 employees and attracts around 15mn customers annually.
The Knightsbridge flagship department store in London, which spans over one million square feet and houses more than 330 departments, is an icon of luxury. But like all luxury brands, Harrods has had to blend its brick-and-mortar operations with a thriving travel opportunity, and an equally personal digital experience.
The worldwide reach of Harrods can be seen in the way the luxury brand approaches global travellers. Harrods has expanded its presence in airports, both in the UK and internationally, as part of a broader strategy to diversify its retail footprint.
Travel retail focus
Harrods has established outlets in every terminal at Heathrow Airport, while its 6,200 sq ft store at Gatwick South Terminal features dedicated boutiques for brands like Swarovski, DKNY, Michael Kors, and Longchamp. It also features a jewellery counter, mirroring the luxury of its Knightsbridge flagship.
Harrods extends its retail presence beyond its famous store and airport presence to the seas with boutiques on cruise ships, including the QE2.
Online luxury
For consumers looking for luxury online, Harrods embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation, relaunching its ecommerce platform in November 2024. The luxury department store aimed to provide a seamless online journey for its customers, incorporating a number of innovative technologies and systems.
It introduced several new features to its website including refreshed landing pages and a sophisticated ‘headless’ front-end framework. This approach was designed to boost both the functionality and aesthetics of the platform.
“We are continuously expanding our ecommerce presence to deliver memorable experiences to our customers around the world,” explains Caitlin Innes, chief digital and customer officer at Harrods.
However, the luxury brand became the third UK retailer to be hit with cyber attacks in May 2025. Following similar incidents with Marks & Spencer and supermarket Co-op, Harrods also reported attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of its systems.
“Our seasoned IT security team immediately took proactive steps to keep systems safe,” a company statement said. Shoppers were encouraged to visit the Knightsbridge store, H beauty stores and to continue to shop via harrods.com.
This is one of seven profiles of luxury retailers included in the recently published Internet Retailing European Luxury Report 2025. Other iconic brands profiled in the report include Armani, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Prada, MaxMara and Moncler. The wider report includes an in-depth analysis of why consumers buy luxury goods.
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