Of all the department stores in the world, Selfridges Oxford Street was last night crowned the fairest one of all at the Global Department Store Summit dinner in New York.
Voted for by the 33 members of the IGDS (International Group of Department Stores) from 29 countries spanning 5 continents, Selfridges beat off stiff competition from other world famous short-listed stores, including Bloomingdales in New York and Hong Kong's Lane Crawford, to win the prize.
Founded in 1909 by entrepreneur Gordon Selfridge, the company celebrated its centenary last year and recently expanded its four store empire into e-commerce, selling everything from fashion to beauty and home wares online.
Selfridges' current owner, Galen Weston, bought the store in 2003 and along with his daughter, Alannah Weston (the current creative director) and vice chairman Paul Kelly, overhauled the store to make it the ultimate destination shop, transforming the shop's fortunes in the process. Last year saw profits rise 8% to £88.1m, and it was these results combined with the store's profile, development, in-store experience and customer service that secured them the prize.
In a statement issued today Paul Kelly said: "We are delighted to have won this very special award and very proud of our team who have all contributed in making this happen. This is very much in recognition of all their hard work. This century-old brand, built on the most extraordinary heritage, confirms that Selfridges is the most relevant and exciting department store today."
