How snobby is Harrods?
 

I have been reading about the strict dress codes inside Harrods? Are you allow to bring a backpack inside? Do they charge you to take a pee? Has anyone reading this ever been refused entry? Also, is Portobello Road Market and Camden Lock Market worth a visit? Which one is better?

I spent many hours in Harrod's in a sweatshirt, jeans, and backpack last November. The British are extremely friendly! The store itself is beautiful and expensive, but there are so many tourists dressed in many different outfits, so it doesn't matter what you wear. I never had to pay to use the restroom. Hope this helps!

Harrods (and most other posh London stores) is not snobby at all. And once you are there you will understand the pay toilets. The place is absolutely mobbed with looky loos (not in the British sense of the word) most of the time. It can be a real zoo. If they didn't have pay toilets there would be massive queues.

I have always been very well treated in Harrods - and in Liberty, Harvey Nic's and Fortnum and Mason. Whether I was buying one Chocolate truffle or a £150 enamel box - I got the same attentive service.

The dress code is over emphasized by folks who have probably not been there - it is more of a tool so they CAN oust folks, not that they do very often.

There are lots of good street markets all over London. If you get there early enough on Saturday morning, Portabello Rd is the biggest/best - but only if you can be there early and leave before 10AM. otherwise it just is TOO crowded.

But Camden Passage, Bermondsey and several others are good too.

No dress code when we went last month -- it was very hot then and practically everyone wore shorts and sandals. The only problem we encountered was taking photos of their "Egyptian" room, which my husband did but was then ordered to stop. Don't know why.
Actually, I stopped in to ask their information desk (one located at each entrance) if they knew where the Mary Quant store was. The gentleman at one of the desks had no clue, but reckoned it was "quite a walk", even though I had the address and knew it was close by. The woman at the next booth knew exactly where it was and gave me directions.

I personally prefer Selfridges, which has been renovated in recent years (free pee on the lower floor). They have things there you can't find at Harrods, especially catering to American and other foreign food products for the homesick expats.

I like Camden Lock, which has gone slightly upscale in recent years (likewise with prices), but still retains its punkish flavor. Got some water crystals there last month, these items you stick in water and they blow up, looking like ice that you add food color to and put in vases for flower arrangements. Very cool!

The backpack thing is that you have to take your backpack off of your back--you can still carry it around, just not on your back, because you will knock things over and you take up way more room that way (especially in an elevator, FYI).

It's not snobby, since it's so crowded with tourists. Expensive, yes it is. Snobby, no.

yes,you are charged to take a pee in Harrods. Last time I was there, 2 years ago, I had to pay 1 pound to pee. Maybe it's more now:)

As a Londoner - whose school insisted we buy our uniforms at Harrods decades ago - I would opt for 'pretentious' rather than 'snobby'. And - as a matter of personal taste - nowadays just plain vulgar. Harvey Nicks if you want glitz, John Lewis if you want reliable quality, honest tat from the street market for every day. Harrods is to gawp at, not to buy in......

Patrick, as ever, errs on the side of tact.
Why, in a city that's full of shops - and in a neighbourhood with at least three department stores run by professional retailers, all three full of innovative merchadise, people flock to a pretentious slum, run by a foul-mouthed, corrupt, paranoiac is quite inexplicable.The answer, of course, is that no Londoner does.

Harvey Nicks is stylish. Peter Jones useful, pleasant to shop in and mostly manned by pleasant people. And the General Trading Company as quirkily English as a WI chutney sale.
And if you want really different products, the clothes stalls across town at Spitalfields sell clothes the stallholders (mostly current, or just ex-, design students) designed themselves.

Harrods is no more expensive for any of its items than other shops/stores e.g. a television there will not carry a premium for being retailed at Harrods. In fact some clothes are cheaper at Harrods than Selfridges as they often remove the irritating 99p.

Harvey Nichols still has great windows, but the store itself is crowded - particularly the rambling menswear department in the basement with low ceilings; claustrophobic like the rest of the place. The whole store needs a refurbishment, and the washrooms are not cleaned well. Their stock is excellent, however, the setting does not match.

In contrast, Harrods has high ceilings, large and clean floorspaces which 'flow' well. It still has concessions, but these do not break up the floors like those in Selfridges which is little more than a glorified Bazaar.

Peter Jones (John Lewis) in Sloane Sq. is very good for everyday homewares and electronic items.

Camden Lock is quite interesting, but busy with an overall lack of quality. Portobello road has some interesting antique shops, but not grand like Partridges or Mallets.

As for dress codes, you just need to be respectably dressed - no vests, ripped jeans, etc. On the 2nd floor there are free washrooms, however, these are not of the luxury variety which are charged for (the fee is waived for account holders).

Either way, enjoy your stay in London.

P.S.

For those of you who say that no Londoners ever shop at Harrods, how do you explain the large number of account holders in the London local?

The majority of their repeat clientele are from the London region.

As to describing it as a slum, what palace are you from?

Are Harvey Nichols, Peter Jones and Selfridges department stores like Harrods or just for men?

P.P.S


As an afterthought, nowhere is snobby unless you let it be. Never presume youself to be inferior - after all you are the customer, they are standing on the other side of the desk i.e. they serve you.

Remember snobbery is just a perception of an incorrectly assumed inferiority.

By the very nature of being a department store they stock, both mens, womens, and childrens fashions, stationary, jewellery, electical items. Perhaps you are not aware of the concept of a department store?

I merely used menswear as an example with which I am overly familar.

Variety is the spice of life, isn't it? I am a Londoner and I shop at Harrods. I particularly like the new 'white room' perfumery. The loos are also free if you have made a purchase. I'm not a huge fan - it is just another store to me. I agree with Mkingdom that Harvey Nichols ain't that special. I personally don't like any of the shops from the John Lewis Partnership (Peter Jones). I like a bit of life in my department stores. I have never been treated badly in Harrods.

As with most major cities, London has great places to shop and lousy places to shop. I think it depends on what you are looking for. For instance, when I want a new Chanel lipstick, I always go the Chanel store on Bond Street. The staff in I always go the Chanel store on Bond Street. The staff in there are unfailingly charming and greet you like an old friend, even if you are only spending £12. They are class personified. M_kingdom is right about snobbery. Only you can let someone make you feel inferior (isn't that paraphrasing Eleanor Roosevelt?)

What precisely is their policy on photography insode? Does Harrod's forbid entrance to those tourists with a camera around their neck? Are there specific areas that CANNOT be photographed or is it a "No cameras allowed" storewide policy?

I have requests from friends for photos of their Princess Diana memorial. I have been told cameras are strictly verbotten.

Yes, I know I will look like a tourist and, yes, I know I can buy post cards inside the store of the more famous areas.

Cheers,

Ron

Londoners do shop at Harrods. I lived nearby for 9 years, and the food halls are unbeatable; expensive, not for every day, but excellent. They do require you to wear your backpack in your hand, and some doormen do go over the top and insist women take off their tiny Louis Vuitton backpack, but this is an exception. I used to be a guest shopper in Harrods; they would pay me to shop there, in return for a detailed report filled out afterwards, so I know the store well, and it is continually being refurbished and upgraded. I like Harvey Nichols and Selfridges too, but if you have never been there, Harrods is a must for any tourist.

As for the Diana memorial, it is well worth seeing, for the kitsch value. There is the ring, the glass, all encased in a nice perspex pyramid. IMO, it is appalling but it should be seen. Having said that, it is also a memorial to Dodi Fayed, put there by a man who lost his son.

I don't know about photos. I haven't noticed anyone taking any and I believe there is a guard there, watching.

I must admit that I know of no Londoners who shop in Harrods. Not just because it's a tourist mecca (who cares?) but because it's just not as up there as Selfridges, which has no firmly established itself as THE lifestyle department store in London. Harrods just seems a bit outdated in some of its stock, and a bit kitsch in some of its refurbs (whatever you think of the Egyptian escalators complete with Diana memorial, tasteful it ain't).

Selfridges is seen as much more cutting edge in both its stock and store design, and caters for a younger (but still wealthy) clientele. It is opening more stores nationwide, and is responsible for some of the most innovative architecture happening in the country at the moment (eg the new Selfridges in Birmingham).

Harvey Nicholls is doing similar things around the country, but the Lodnon store does need an overhaul (apart from the AbFab fifth floor restaurant, which is always good for a boozy lunch).

Well, I'm a Londoner and I shop at Harrods. I also shop at Selfridges (to get my fix of cinnamon jelly bellies), Harvey Nicks, Fortnums, Dickins & Jones, Liberty and a zillion other little places depending on where I am. I think what we are forgetting to mention is that the various department stores service the different areas of London. I wouldn't specifically direct a visitor to Selfridges - it is not a tourist site. A grand department store that has undergone a badly needed overhaul, that services the needs of Londoners, yes, but a tourist site it is not. Harrods has a few stupid little extras that set it apart (being lit up at night, OTT food hall, Diana memorial) but I think it gets so much attention because it is a stone's throw away from the museums so people probably think 'well, I'm in the area...'

I shopped in Harrod's several times this summer and never noticed anyone having to pay to use the bathroom. I used a luxery bathroom and just regular ones. Maybe because the super sale was going on and they just didn't bother, I don't know. I also was asked to remove my backback, but the guard at the door was extremely polite about it. The guards also can tell you directions if you need them to. Staff was nice and helpful, even during the crowded last Saturday of the sale. I had a pleasant time at the store.

Agree that Selfridges is more cutting edge, and Harrods has nothing that rivals Harvey Nichols' 5th floor for lunch. However, when I visit London with my children (age 9 and 11) they always want to go to Harrods; for the clothes, toys (ok, not as much as Hamleys, but nice all the same), pet department, christmas dept. and food halls.

WHAT? They have "bathrooms" in Harrods? My, my, not just pay toilets, but even "bathrooms". I wonder what it must cost to take a bath or shower in the "bathroom" since it costs a pound to pee? I have paid my pound more than once but I saw no "bathrooms"...is this a recent addition to the store?

DietDoctor: re the Harrods photography policy. Years ago you could take photos - but several years ago they instituted a strict ban on all photography. This was even before the Diana/Dody memorial (total kitsch) was erected.

It got so you could barely walk through the food halls because there were so many non-shoppers trying to film the place.

And I totally agree w/ Ally Pally - Selfridges is probably the best day to day department store - but it is certainly not a tourist attraction like Harrods. I would also place Liberty in the tourist attraction category - mostly for the fabulous bldg.

janis: Thanks for the information about photography inside Harrods. I appreciate your taking the time to reply. Alas, I had suspected that was the case.

Cheers,

Ron

In 1996 they did not allow backpacks...don't know if that has changed...

When we were there you could use the restroom for free--provided you had spent at least 100 pounds prior to your need to go! Makes a pound seem like a bargain doesn't it?

If you like perfumes, walk up and down the aisles of that deparment and you're likely to be handed some really neat little samples.

I'm sure someone has already mentioned that they have special departs just for the tourists with canvas bags, Christmas ornaments, mugs etc.

P.S. I forgot to mention that Sloane Square is my favorite place to shop. Plus I got the best haircut I've ever had at the Toni & Guy next to the tube exit in SS. If you use the spa at Harrod's the restroom is free. The one pound restroom fee is still the best bargain there!

Last January you could take photos at the Diana memorial, but that was the only place. Don't know if thats still the case or not...

Where's a good place to buy cheap souvenirs in London by the way?

My recollection of shopping in Harrod's last year was that photography of the Dodi-Diana memorial was permitted although photography anywhere else was verboten.
What I love about shopping there is that I can go from department to department with my import card; choose all the gifts I want to send home and all the neat stuff I just can't resist for myself; then go down to the basement and settle up my account. I leave with no packages; Harrod's ships my stuff to arrive at my home the day after I get back from vacation, and the savings on the VAT just about pays for the shipping.
By the way, only once have I seen anyone turned away from Harrods. It was a tour group of students about 40 strong and marching eight abreast up to the doorway blocking everyone else. The doorman made short work of them.

Saw a young Brittney wannabe wearing almost nothing get the bums rush one afternoon . . a different time some loon in a tux top and shorts (and ugly) was picked up by the armpits and dumped on the curb.

Otherwise it is a neat place to see (once)

Rich

Rich

I love shopping in Harrods :) I go straight to the Food Halls and then on to the souvenir section where I buy certain sweet boys teddy bears and Harrods tea tins. Then on to the cashmere sweaters where I dream of having a closet full, but settle on touching as many as I can before leaving and going on to have tea in their cafe.
No one has ever said or done anything to make me notice any snobbery, although I admit I don't carry backpacks nor do I wear shorts and tee shirts to shop.
I seem to remember the ladies room needed a coin to unlock the door.
I was not overwhelmed by Camden Lock Market and would prefer Portobello if given a choice.

Visited Harrods in June and was asked to carry the backpack rather than wear it. No problem. I also didn't have to pay to use any restrooms.

The food halls are fabulous! I loved visiting the bakery area for snacks and also picked up some wonderful truffles from the chocolate area. I also brought back teas from there for family and friends. Try to go on a week day rather than a Saturday and then you might not have such a crowd.

It was fun to take the kids to the food halls. They are the best! Frankly, the rest of their merch, I could care less about. Nothing so sublime that you can't find it elsewhere and perhaps at a better price. I personally would not dream of wandering through in jeans and a tee, but that is just me. Never ever had to pay to use the facilities. Made 6 trips to the restrooms with two little girls in two hours. I think we only ended up in the same one twice. We left tips but were never required to actually pay. The store was pack full of "shoppers" on every level but the restrooms were very civilized. BTW no photos are permitted beyond the Egyptian monstrocity. They very kindly and respectfully requested that we not photograph the food displays. As silly as I thought that was, they did so in such a charming way, that I was quick to put the camera away and apologized for my ignorance.

Harrods is suppose to get a Krispy Kreme in October. I'd be hard pressed to call it snobby after that. Although the British have such style they will probably make it a lovely experience. :)

No problem with casual dress.

See the food court and get some baked goods. Yummy.

I was unimpressed with the rest of the regular dept. stores.

The Camden Market was "ok", but mostly junk. Worth a browse, but not much else IMO.

Harrods have so called "luxury bathrooms" which are posh and require you to pay 1 pound (although this is not always enforced). If you eat anywhere in the store you get a voucher for these toilets. These bathrooms are also free for account holders. There are other toilets throughout the store that are free. If you have children, check out the 'only for children' toilets on the 4th floor, in the children's clothing department.

Selfridges is not "the" place to be, the store has low ceilings and so many concessions that navigating it is akin to walking through a maze. The stock, particularly mens and womens fashions may seem wide and varied on first impressions, but really lacks variety, and wearibility - due to them not having the best buyers. Harrods and Harvey Nichols perform better in this department.

The Food Hall in Selfridges is small with low ceilings like the rest of the store. Its location on Oxford St. is convenient if nothing else - dirty, dusty, and crowded!

If you are really into fashion and want to browse collections from all the major designers and also much smaller ones with far more limited production, go to Browns in South Molton St. Some people find it a bit intimidating there, but if you don't let it get to you they really do have a well edited clothes.

But if you know what designer you want go to the boutiques/stores in Bond St. Also Jil Sander has a fantastic store with ultra high ceilings in the nearby Burlington Gardens.

Sloane St. also offers an excellent selection of designer shoppping.

Regent St. in high season can be a little difficult to walk along, but Liberty is worth seeing even though it is small with limited stock. However, they are one of the few stores stocking Vivienne Westwood for men.

If you only wish to spend one day shopping the Knightsbridge area as this has Harrods, and Harvey Nichols, and Sloane St. which should keep you and your wallet/purse content for hours!

We made our third shopping trip to Harrods in Jan. 2003. We were not charged to use the pay toilets at that time. We have been charged in past years though. Harrods is a real treat. The Food Hall is worth a visit alone! Don't miss it! Dress like you would on a shopping trip to any nice department store.

I found Harrods extremely nice to deal with. When I retired, knowing that I was spending my unused sick pay on a month-long trip to Great Britain, my company gave me a nice Harrods gift certificate as a retirement present.

It took two trips to the store before I could decide what to spend it on, but I finally decided on a Wedgwood pendant and brooch. I chose both of them in blue, and then when I got home I wished that I had gotten two different colors. Well, I went back the following year, receipts in hand, and told them my story. They very graciously let me make an exchange for a green pendant; and when it rang up at a little less in price, they gave me the change. I figure that's class!

One thing--when they very nicely ask you if you would rather have an item charged in U.S. dollars rather than pounds, you should decline. They get you on the exchange rate.