Charles Henry Harrod
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Harrod was a businessman involved in retail trade who founded the highly successful Harrods
store in London
.
in Clacton but in 1834 he moved to London
where he began selling groceries in Stepney
.
In the 1840s he rented a small shop on Brompton Road, Knightsbridge
, known as "Harrods". The shop sold groceries and only had a turn
over of £20 per week. During the 1850s Knightsbridge
grew into one of the most fashionable parts of London
.
In 1860 Charles sold the business to his son, Charles Digby Harrod
. The trade at Harrods continued to grow and by 1868 the shop had sixteen staff and a turnover had risen to £1,000 per week. Harrod concentrated on encouraging wealthy people to his store and provided a personalised service for important customers. He also managed to increase trade by introducing his own brand groceries patriotically packaged in the colours of the Union Flag
.
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
store in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Career
At a young age, Harrod worked as a millerMiller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
in Clacton but in 1834 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he began selling groceries in Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
.
In the 1840s he rented a small shop on Brompton Road, Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, known as "Harrods". The shop sold groceries and only had a turn
over of £20 per week. During the 1850s Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
grew into one of the most fashionable parts of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 1860 Charles sold the business to his son, Charles Digby Harrod
Charles Digby Harrod
Charles Digby Harrod was an English merchant who expanded Harrods in London into a department store after his father, Charles Henry Harrod had retired....
. The trade at Harrods continued to grow and by 1868 the shop had sixteen staff and a turnover had risen to £1,000 per week. Harrod concentrated on encouraging wealthy people to his store and provided a personalised service for important customers. He also managed to increase trade by introducing his own brand groceries patriotically packaged in the colours of the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
.