Selfridges becomes most awarded department store in IGDS history

Selfridges London East Corner. Credit: Andrew Meredth

The award celebrates Selfridges for its leadership in offering unique customer experiences, driven by an “exceptional” business acumen, commitment to sustainability and creativity.

Selfridges has been a top London retail destination and a UK landmark for over a century. The business was founded by American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1909 and is widely regarded as the first example of a modern department store. The company will complete a £300 million capital expenditure programme by the end of 2018, which includes a transformation of the London store on Duke Street, with a new grand entrance and a new accessories hall designed to become the largest destination for luxury accessories in the world. It also includes significant investment in the brand’s digital capabilities comprising the launch of the Selfridges app and the expansion of Selfridges.com, which commenced in China.

Anne Pitcher, managing director of Selfridges, commented: “We are thrilled to have Selfridges recognised again as the best department store in the world. This award is a huge honour and perfectly timed, as we near the completion of our transformation programme, for Selfridges London. It is also a great tribute to the commitment of our teams and gives us even greater inspiration to exceed our customers’ expectations, in delivering extraordinary experiences.”

IGDS is the largest association of department stores worldwide and counts 42 members from 38 countries on five continents. Its Global Department Store Summit, held every two years, is the world’s only department store-focused discussion platform. The award ceremony marked the culmination of the summit, attended by over 380 prominent executives and stakeholders from the world over.