How Harry Selfridge Reformed Window Shopping
An American self-made man reset the rules of shopping in London
“Give the lady what she wants.”
- Harry Gordon Selfridge
Today, it is hard to imagine fashion without window shopping. Visual merchandise is a serious business and has great importance for a brand’s image as well as for the shopping experience. But, it was not always the case. There was a time people simply went to the stores available in town and asked for what they wanted to buy exactly. They were given some options but did not have the luxury to touch randomly what they saw or try on things as they wished. Clearly, it was not the type of shopping we know now.
How it transformed over the years is a progressive and beautiful story. Among all the people that contributed to these changes, there is a man named Harry Selfridge who really reset all the rules in London and slowly across the world.
Who is Harry Selfridge?
Harry Gordon Seldridge was an American man born in Wisconsin, raised in Michigan, and worked in Chicago for many years. His career started with delivering newspapers, continued in the stock market, and had its glory in fashion.
On a trip to London from Chicago, Mr. Selfridge decided to invest in a department store on Oxford Street. He called it…
