Luxury English department store Harrods have found an innovative solution to the excess stock they’ve accumulated as a result of lockdown. Many retail stores have found themselves with a huge product surplus after being forced to close their doors to customers over the last 3 months. With stores in the UK now having the go-ahead to welcome back shoppers, many retailers are heavily discounting items to clear out their stock rooms and make way for new season styles. Harrods have found a way to do this whilst maintaining their reputation as a premium retailer that offers a luxury instore experience.
3rd July is the date set for the grand opening of the first ever Harrods Outlet store. The pop-up outlet will be situated in Westfields shopping centre, London. The move is a first for the department store, which currently only has shops at its Knightsbridge location and in a few airport concessions.
The temporary Westfields pop-up will occupy an 80,000 square foot space and feature 3-metre-wide walkways that will allow customers to adhere to social distancing rules more easily. By removing the summer sale from the Knightsbridge store and hosting it in its own unique location, Harrods will be making the luxury shopping experience safer for both staff and customers. Due to the volume of stock that will be discounted because of coronavirus, Harrods felt that it wouldn’t be “socially responsible” to have their summer sale in the usual Knightsbridge location. The removal of the summer sale to a separate retail store will also create more space for those shoppers who wish to visit Harrods and shop the full price lines.
Despite being an outlet store, Harrods are still aiming to provide the same level of customer service and luxury experience that you could expect when visiting the department store. Plans for the outlet show a bright, white retail space that looks clinical yet luxurious and is designed to put customers at ease when shopping.
You can expect to see brands such as Tom Ford, Chloé and Stella McCartney heavily discounted so it’s a sale that’s not to be missed. Although the pop-up outlet store isn’t set to be a permanent fixture at Westfields, Harrods haven’t ruled out the possibility of utilising a similar concept in January, for the post-Christmas sales. It will be interesting to see how successful the outlet will be for Harrods and if any other retailers will follow suit in order to make the in-store shopping experience safer in a post-pandemic world.
If the thought of venturing out to the shops still feels a little too scary, or like me, you don’t live anywhere near London, don’t worry: Harrods’ summer sale is currently live online so you can shop the designer bargains from the comfort of your own home.
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Researcher: Milo Gall, @ Milog_Gall
