To feel uncomfortable in Harrod’s?

[Chocolattay]

I went in with my mum and baby recently on a day trip to London. I obviously knew I wouldn’t get very far with my measly £200 spends but I thought I could at least get earrings or something for baby.

Goodness me, I was very quickly humbled. I immediately felt insecure. Staff buzzing around me constantly and when I said “Oh I’m just looking around” they stared me down and walked off.

I just felt very unwelcome and inadequate the whole time. We did have a meal in one of the restaurants which was nice but I couldn’t get away quick enough afterwards. It didn’t help that we ended up getting lost for half an hour trying to find the exit, and the area with the escalators etc made me claustrophobic.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we got out. Then I went and spent my money in the nearby Zara instead.

All my friends say they love snooping around Harrods but I hated it. Anybody else?

To be perfectly honest, @Chocolattay you would be better at TK Maxx because you could use your measly £200 to purchase baby earrings and perhaps you’ll find the stray comma in there too. It’s clearly important to those people who aren’t able to use common sense to realise you were not looking for earrings for your infant.

I know you probably did not intend it to be this amusing, but this was a hilarious thread.

YANBU, by the way, about Harrods. I felt very uncomfortable but I don’t feel uncomfortable when I visit Selfridges. It feels far more relaxed and friendly. Obviously YABVVVU to buy baby earrings though.

I loved the old Harrods. It was far more fun, over the top and had the Diana and Dodi shrine. You could also buy all kinds of unusual things in the food hall and drinks section. I tasted my first oyster in a stand in the food hall.
Now it is just corporate and soulless. The tiling in the fish and veg area is still amazing and the Egyptian area is fun, but in general, a lot of the fun has left.

Love walking round Harrods and never had any problem with the staff. It's the independent shops nearby where I find the staff more snooty.

Although crazy expensive everything I have ever bought in the food hall has been incredible.

It's just house of Fraser, isn't it. With added gimmicks and souvenirs. My DM went to London a few years ago and bought some chocolates there. They were on a par with milk tray, at hotel chocolat prices.

@RewildingAmbridge

Call me a cynic

Don't flatter yourself. You are not a cynic. Just nasty.

Harrods is absolutely grim. If you want a nice shop in London go to Liberty's. Beautiful interior, amazing beauty hall, nice places to have tea, not full of boujee nouveau riche twats

Never liked Liberties.

YANBU. Harrod’s is not what it was. Tacky, cheap, only aiming at the Russian and Arab billionaires- very chavvy, to be honest.

You can’t even get a decent ham in the food hall anymore; it’s been crap for 20 years.

No class in harrods anymore, just full of new money types. Don’t waste your time

@Bussinbussin

Can I hijack your thread for a moment please OP? It seems to be full of people who know Harrods well, so a good place to ask.

My mum wants one of their little porcelain dishes for used teabags.

Next time I'm in London I want to pop in, make a beeline for the dish thingy and get out, without becoming lost and stuck in there forever like OP.

Could anyone tell me where to find them and the quickest route in/out? I'd be very grateful.

Sorry OP. Back to your baby's earrings

Are you sure they still do them? They are only coming up on Ebay when I searched just now. I think I'd check with customer service to see if they're still available. With luck they will offer to post one to you!

I am obsessed with tea bag tidies after I bought one online and didn't check the size. It was so small that it only fitted one tea bag!

Selfridges all the way! Sad to hear that Harrods is crap now, though... I lived in London more than 20 years ago, and I used to love a rummage around Dickens & Jones. And Liberty for window shopping. I do love department stores, but I’m not sure there’s any good ones now. El Corte Ingles, when I’m on holiday.

I had a lovely day there with a friend a few weeks ago for her birthday. We had tea and it was and amazing. We were early, walking around browsing and a lady asked us if we’d like to try a hair tool. We both had our hair curled by a very talented lady selling this cool hair tool. As our hair still looked fabulous after a few hours having our tea, we both bought one. Each Under 200 too.

Yeah deffo saw some Russian oligarchs in there when I went. 2 girls who looked like sister’s talking loudly in Russian. They were absolutely stunning and you couldn’t help but notice them.

I used to work in the Waterstone's concession in Harrods. It was... an interesting experience! Two days of training before they'd even let you out on the shopfloor, a system of carnations depending on your level of seniority and the queues to leave via the staff entrance because you had to leave any bag that wasn't see-through in the cloakroom before you were even allowed to cross under the road to the shop.

Happy days!

Never spent any money in Harrods, and wouldn't have on principal. I did use to visit it when I worked in London, in the late 70s, as my sister's boyfriend worked in the sports department. At that time Dave Prowse was the manager of that department, which was really strange to see, as during that period he was starring as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films! Of course, you'd have to know that to realise who he was - I mean it wasn't even his voice used in the film. I doubt he handed out many autographs. Or, actually, perhaps he did; from those who recognised him as the Green Cross Code man

@Kendodd

I remember they used to sell puppies and kittens on the top floor back then.

I'm also old enough to remember the no jeans dress code

Harrods is just a tacky tourist attraction but sorry you felt like that

Never been, but would like to now.

I struggle in Waitrose though, to be fair.

Urgh, Harrods is a horrible sort of tourist retail theme park, incredibly vulgar, and a place people with no taste shop because they think it’s ‘posh’ and somehow confers that on them. The snootiness is completely unwarranted. I’ve found Liberty going the same way, but their goods are at least still things you’d want.

I last went to Harrods in 2000 so it may well have changed but I always found it pleasant and relaxing, and I'm not someone who particularly likes shopping.

It seems an odd place to go during a day trip to London, when London is so culturally rich. Each to their own.

Is this you OP?

vm.tiktok.com/ZMLy46Aje/?k=1

I'm easily intimidated but not in Harrods, it's so unbelievably tasteless and naff.

The new interior is totally claustrophobic, OP! I say new, but used to go to Harrods a lot until around 2012 so the new design was done a wsince a while ago.
I used to love the open plan shoe dept - all brands in one airy light hall with the biggest brands enclosed a bit but very easy to circulate and n o pressure from staff. Now it's all boutiques with thicj too-shiny walls and narrow corridors between then but mostly LOW CEILIMGS and no natural light - horrendous!
Escalator area also gone weird. I used to also like the beautiful perfume hall - now it absolutely reeks of heavy fragance that Arabic customers love and honestly completely lost the subtle but delish mix of the classic French scent allure it had - I swiftly reversed out of it as it actually an assault on the senses!
I haven''t tried any restaurants. Also the ground floor with accessories still ok, and food hall still good to be fair.

*ceilings

@Bussinbussin I got a great teabag tidy in ASDA.