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100 not out: Selfridges marks a century of retail therapy
Jonathan Prynn11 Mar 2009
In 1909 its managers promised that shopping there would be "a pleasure - a pastime - a recreation".
A century on, customers are still flooding into Selfridges. And at 9am this Sunday, the Oxford Street landmark store will mark the exact moment when its doors were thrown open for the first time.
Rare archive material seen by the Evening Standard for the first time in decades gives a glimpse of how it ushered in a new kind of shopping to booming Edwardian London.
An invitation from founder Gordon Selfridge to selected notable Londoners describes the 12-month construction as "a splendid testimony to the capability of British labour; a monument in steel and stone to the power of will".
He promises the store will be "the pleasantest resort".
The opening was London's shopping event of the decade, drawing more than one million visitors in its first week - twice as many as last year's much-hyped Westfield launch.
The store had 100 departments spread over eight floors and aimed "to have and hold first rank in public favour".
Innovations included a library and a "silence room" for "restful seclusion", "colonial rooms" for "friends from overseas", a tea garden "open to the sky", and free lavatories - a facility that at the time only Whiteleys in Bayswater offered.
A state of the art "telephonic communication" system provided contact "between every counter and any part of the British Isles". And "a First-Aid ward, with a trained nurse in attendance, provides for any indisposition or mishap".
The opening was marked by a fanfare from a bugler, a signal for huge ruched curtains to lift over 21 plate glass windows revealing fashion displays inspired by French artists Fragonard and Watteau.
The exact minute of the centenary will be tame by comparison as Sunday trading hours mean no shoppers will be allowed in until 11.30am.
But it will trigger months of centenary celebrations at the store now owned by the Canadian Weston family, who also own Associated British Food. One member, Alannah, is creative director. An exhibition of Selfridges memorabilia donated by the public opens in May and window displays in May and June will celebrate the past decades including a Twenties-style boudoir and Thirties football theme. The celebrations will be promoted by a troup of dancers known as "The Selfridgettes", About 90,000 visitors poured through the store on day one in 1909, the equivalent of the entire capacity of Wembley Stadium. Remarkably they managed to spend only £3,000, or about 3p each. Even in today's money that's only about £1.60 each.
It was a poor return on £36,000 (£2.35million in today's money) of advertising across 104 pages of 18 national newspapers over seven days.
According to Selfridges' official biographer Lindy Woodhead: "Lots were just sightseers or just bought little souvenirs like handkerchiefs or buttons. It was not a discount store but 'the best value in London" was one of their slogans."
Unlike many stores of the time the shop had no credit accounts and only took cash, although items could be delivered to customers' homes for no charge, however small.
Reader views (1)
Could Selfridges bring back the wonderful Christmas window displays they used to have for children. I was always taken to Selfridges as a child and have fond memories of queuing to see the windows - it was a special treat. I also remember the themed windows and giveaways when Disney's Jungle Book was released! More please??
Congratulations and Happy Birthday!
- Pearl, London, 11/03/2009 16:46
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