Selfridges & Co

Selfridges & co

Background information…

Selfridges is the United Kingdom’s high end department stores, coming second (after Harrods) is the biggest shop in the UK and was opened in 1906 March 15^th.

Harry Gordon Selfridge (owner) was born in 1858. He joined field Leiter and company, where he worked for the famous Chicago retailer; he worked hard and made his way up through the firm, he married into Buckingham family and amassed the fortune, which he then built his brand new store in London.

Gordon wanted his stores to be as about entertainment as retail, where mostly women could meet up with their friends and have fun together, he wanted the atmosphere to be a friendly social centre, not a merely places for shopping. He tried to make shopping a fun adventure rather than a chore.

Gordon was interested in education and science; therefore he attracted shoppers with educational and scientific exhibitions. He truly believed that displays would help getting new customers in and the current customers interested and making them want to come back for more if they could see what they could miss out on.

Visual Merchandising…

In 2003 the window displays where so good, that they became a tourist attraction, also being passed by thousands of people on foot, in cars and public transport every day, people can always see what’s new and going on, this shows that window displays are massively important as it increased there business up by 20% (according to VM fashion manager).

When Alison Jackson put her trade mark Tony Blair and David Beckham lookalikes in the window, it brought so much attention to Oxford Street, that police had to tell her she had to finish the project, as it was clogging up traffic and getting way too busy.

To a certain degree Selfridges has become famous for the company and where it has been located in Oxford Street in London. When the Selfridges building was a undergoing restoration, the scaffolding had a giant photograph of stars such as Elton John by Sam Taylor-Wood.

The window displays are always getting attention from tourists, designers and fashionistas alike to marvel at the current designs, styling and fashion trends.

Since 2002 the windows have been photographed by London Photographer Andrew Meredith he has been so successful his work is in things like Magazines such as:

· Vogue

· Dwell

· Icon

· Fame Magazine

· Creative Review

· Hungarian Stylus Magazine

· Design Week

· Harper’s Bazaar

· New York Times

· WGSN

And many more…

(He is someone I will be taking inspiration from his images, such as styling, what angels he has taken his images in and colours he has used in his photographic work.)

Selfridges has stores in

• London

• Birmingham

• Manchester Trafford

• Manchester Exchange square

Selfridges do seasons way in advanced, hear is a press release created on 27th July 2011, the reson for posting this is going behind the sense and knowing whats going on in ever aspect to get to know selfridges really well,


Press Release

EARLIEST EVER CHRISTMAS

EARLIEST EVER CHRISTMAS SHOP OPENING FOR
SELFRIDGES, 151 DAYS AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS DAY FOR
LONDON’S TOURISTS AS SELFRIDGES’ INTERNATIONAL
VISITORS INCREASE OVER 40 PER CENT (2011 COMPARED
TO 2010)
It may only be July, but London is soon about to embark on a more wintery world as Selfridges, the world’s leading
department store announces its earliest ever opening of its White themed Christmas shop which is scheduled to open
28th July, 149 days ahead of December’s big day.
Sales in previous years have proved that customers are ready to start thinking about Christmas in the summer, especially
visitors from overseas. This year, Selfridges’ international visitors have already increased by over 40 per cent (2011
compared to 2010), which has encouraged Selfridges to reconsider its traditional August Christmas shop opening,
bringing it forward to July for the first time.
Last year Selfridges’ Christmas shop celebrated record sales double on the year (2010 compared to 2009) in its first week
of trade. Tourists from countries including China, Russia, Asia, India and USA see choosing a beautiful Christmas
decoration as the perfect memento from a foreign trip flock to Selfridges during the summer months. Last year,
Selfridges’ Christmas shop sold over 2,000 Christmas baubles in its first week of trade, after opening August 8th 2010.
Among the items on display in this year’s White themed Christmas shop will be make your own and pre-lit Christmas
trees, paint your own baubles and wreaths.
Selfridges’ Christmas hot list for 2011 includes faux fur animal hats by Merrimaking, currently enjoying a cult status in
Japan and amongst festival goers. Selfridges’ Christmas shop will offer stag and polar bear styles exclusively for £100.
White trees are also expected to rival traditional green for the first time, with exclusive trees in six, seven and eight foot
from £159.
Selfridges' hot list for Christmas 2011:
• Multi-texture white decorations including boiled wool, wood, felt and glass from £3.95
• Stag and polar bear faux fur stag hat £100 and polar bear hat £40 by Merrimaking
• White Christmas trees (6ft, 7ft and 8ft) from £159
• Union Jack bauble £11.95
• Selfridges first baby’s bauble £5.50
• Bespoke Selfridges neon crackers made from recycled paper £45 for six
• Game crackers to celebrate the nation's favourite board games including Monopoly and Scrabble £18.95 for six
• Make your own crackers by Robin Reed - roll the up and put your own presents inside £12.50
• Paint your own and sew your own novelty decorations by Gisella Graham £8.95
Geraldine James, Selfridges Christmas Shop Buying Manager said: “Christmas is coming earlier each year. I can
see a time when we offer a capsule Christmas collection throughout the year. We are famous globally for our exclusive
Christmas decorations and this year we are looking forward to transforming our customers’ homes all over the world with
our white themed Christmas decorations, which this year we expect to challenge the traditional red, gold and green.”

Downloaded from Selfridges website, www.selfridges.com (click press room)
contact details

• Tel: 0800 123 400
• +44 113 369 8040 (from overseas)
• 9am - 10pm seven days a week

On selfridges website it has services from A-X on services to make it easier for the customer to get help and easier to find things. The website has everything to know about selfridges such as how it all started, whats going on whats not going on, what will be next, sales, new fashion all sorts of things, which is brilliant because its all there when you need it.