Which department store in London

[Anonymous]

Selfridges, no question.

[Anonymous]

Selfridges - without question the best for shopping, if you're looking for luxury stuff, designer wear, etc. Kind of likes Saks Fifth Ave, but I think better.
Harrods - now just for Arabs/Russians
Harvey Nicks - had its day, now totally irrelevant
Liberty - interesting building, nothing special to buy that can't be found in Selfridges
John Lewis - useful stuff, the place I shop in as a Londoner to buy useful things (homewares, etc) but not particularly interesting as a tourist.
M&S - not really a department store, but again, quite useful. Other than the food, which is great, I only really buy tights there. But what tights they are! The best!
Fortnums - don't think any Londoner actually shops here! But it is interesting to see and the ice cream parlour there is great, and you can have a knickerbocker glory just like Paddington had.
Debenhams - don't bother

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fortnum and Masons?

Went here for tea with my 3 and 4 year olds (and 3 other grown ups) four years ago and still remember it as a highlight of our trip! Very, very nice service but not inappropriate for (well behaved) kids.

[Anonymous]

I always hit Selfridges and TopShop whenever in London.

[Anonymous]

It does depend on what you're looking for.

For most Londoners, Selfridges and John Lewis are probably the top two (John Lewis is a national chain but a very good one). Of the two, Selfridges has the most for tourists and visitors as John Lewis is for everyday living.

Liberty is a lovely, charming store in a lovely, charming building. They have lots of little knicks and knacks for sale along with clothes. The design aesthetic is artsy. They have their own label of women's shirts based on famous Liberty patterns from the past. My mother loves them, younger people might not. Fabulous scarf collection.

Harrods is worth a prowl if just to see the extravagance and the food halls (the food hall is no better than Selfridges but it is stunning from a visual perspective). But it is dominated by Arabs and Russians with very deep pocketbooks and the sheer touristy nature of the store now means most Londoners and British have written it off so it's no longer the beloved British department store it once was.

Harvey Nicks used to be renowned for contemporary high quality fashion. It still is, but the younger set now prefer individual boutiques and Peter Jones in Sloane Square.

[Anonymous]

above poster has pretty much got it locked down.

I will say though that Harrods is still very nice. Obviously there is a lot of ostentatiously priced luxury there to meet the Arab/Chinese high end consumer. However, the staff are absolutely willing to spend time to help you regardless of budget. In that sense they are a bit above being snooty to a less affluent customer. I've had a lot of success going there, saying I was looking for X and only had a budget of Y, and received top notch help.

[Anonymous]

John Lewis is the locals' choice. M&S is definitely a department store, although the clothes generally aren't as stylish as John Lewis, Liberty or Selfridges.

[Anonymous]

Kids will love Hamleys. I love Selfridges and the history is interesting too. Harrods also a must - just for a peek.