Harrods tries 'modern' on for size in store revamp

Anne Long hasn't set foot inside Harrods in years, and the self-proclaimed shopaholic from west London doesn't miss it at all.

"I don't even think about Harrods. It's for tourists, not locals," said Long, a 68-year-old retired businesswoman who prefers to do her jewellery and fashion shopping at rival Selfridges.

For many British shoppers, the 164-year-old Harrods evokes a bygone era when Sigmund Freud, Oscar Wilde and members of Britain's royal family walked its aisles and the retailer introduced England's first "moving staircase". Its dress code still bans flip-flops, Bermuda shorts and "unkempt clothing", and there's a bespoke stationery service on the second floor.

Now, a push is on to update the stuffy image of Europe's largest department store. To stay true to the motto that's engraved on the store's neoclassical facade - Omnia Omnibus Ubique, or All Things for All People, Everywhere - Harrods is embarking on a revamp. Its owners want to lure back Britons who've been dazzled by the bright lights of Selfridges and other shops with a more modern feel, so they have quadrupled investment, culled mid-priced brands and are refurbishing the 1.8 hectare, seven-floor store to clear space for Stella McCartney and Fendi fashions.

Harrods has already increased the ranks of British patrons under the tenure of managing director Michael Ward, though he declined to disclose the jump. Even so, the store is in need of freshening.

A more modern Harrods would attract younger Britons and leave the store less dependent on overseas shoppers whose spending can be affected by currency fluctuations and political instability, Verdict Research analyst Honor Westnedge said.

Harrods is also battling luxury online merchants and new high-end shopping centres in Dubai and Southeast Asia.