Located on Oxford Street in London, Selfridges stands as a testament to innovation and commerce in one of the most iconic shopping districts in the world. Selfridges opened its door on March 15^th, 1909 to crowds of curious Londoners.

[1] All eyes were on the revolutionary department store and the mind behind it all, Harry Gordon Selfridge. Having worked at Marshall Field in Chicago, the American businessman decided London was the perfect market for a modern department store, and in 1906 with 900,000 pounds investment, committed to the venture.[2] Selfridge commissioned the Waring-White Company for the 12 month build, which when completed, would feature 130 departments and countless other amenities.[3] The building itself was done in the colonnade style; giving the store a grand appearance.[4] Selfridges contained an array of facilities; restaurants, ticket offices, a library, a hair salon and even a roof top garden.[5] It transformed the way people shopped, transporting it from a thing of necessity to a truly entertaining event. The opening day was the biggest event of them all. Selfridge had spent 36,000 pounds on advertising alone, trying to drum up immense public interest.[6] Selfridge even had the store done up for the big day. He covered the exterior with flags representing many nations, while the interior was decorated with flowers.[7] The Times reporting on the festivities of the opening day stated that, "the building presented the appearance rather of a fair than a mere shop."[8] The opening of Selfridge's propelled the shop into popularity. From that point on it would face many changes as it attempted to stay in front of the curve while also combatting changes in ownership. Today the store stands proudly on Oxford Street though the space itself has been expanded since its original iteration.[9] Selfridge's became the model for British Department stores and as such has become a London landmark. Their original slogan, "Why not spend the day at Selfridges?," still rings true for many shoppers and tourists alike.[10]

[1] Reginald Pound, Selfridge: A Biography (London: Heinemann, 1960), 51.

[2] "The Opening of Selfridge's," The Times, March 16, 1909.

[3] John William Ferry, A History of the Department Store (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1960), 223.

[4] Ferry, A History of the Department Store, 226.

[5] "The Opening of Selfridge's.

[6] Ferry, 223.

[7] "The Opening of Selfridge's."

[8] "The Opening of Selfridge's."

[9] Ferry, 226.

[10] Ibid., 224.

City of Empire: London during the Interwar Period 1919-1939

Selfridges was an institution that revolutionized the way individuals shopped for goods. With the concentration of products, people were able to purchase goods sourced from around the globe in one convenient location. As a centre of commerce, Selfridges was ahead of its time in Britain. However; things were about the change. During the interwar period a campaign emerged, encouraging people to "Buy British." This did not exclusively reference Britain herself, but all of her dominions and colonies. As such the way people shopped was beginning to change. Selfridge's experienced such changes in a way not unlike other merchants. During the 1920s and 1930s, Selfridges took out a column in The Times. This column expressed the views of the store, and during the interwar period it found itself largely discussing the standard of "Buy British," and the implications this had on the way the business functioned. Selfridges opinions were not stagnant, but continued to evolve. In their column produced during British Empire Week, Selfridge's fully embraced the event.[1] The aim was to show the importance of Empire products allowing the shopper to see the superiority of British made goods.[2] Though these goods were always present, the celebration at Selfridge's showcased the importance of the colonies and dominions in everyday life.[3] Inter-Empire trade was highly encourage.[4] Not only was this the case during empire week, but when Selfridges held their exhibition on British glass, the work of the empire was also on display.[5] The exhibition showcased the, "active and progressive…industry."[6] Though a reported 94% of Selfridge products were from Britain or the Empire, the stance on "Buy British" was changing.[7] By 1932, public doubt was making its way into the column. The fear was that by maintaining the "Buy British," mentality the British economy risked falling behind in the greater scheme of world trade.[8] Stores like Selfridges understood the greater needs of the people; however the tariffs being implemented on foreign goods were making the import of such products very difficult.[9] Economic nationalism, it was noted, was isolating and should not be done exclusively.[10] That is not to say that Selfridges rejected the importance of empire, rather it had a complicated relationship with imperialism. Selfridges was not simply a shop, but a social space in which individuals could experience the theatre of department stores. Empire was intrinsic, as the goods supplied rested on the empire to ensure their availability. Selfridges may have been looking towards the future with opinions of open trade systems, however, during the interwar period there was still a significant reliance on Britain and her colonies and dominions.

Selfridges represents the economic side of empire, and the real domestic implications it can have. Though Selfridges faced many hardships, namely due to its founder rather than imperial policy, it is still important to consider within the lens of the greater changing state of economics. The push to return to that very empire centric mentality by the government was evident, yet Selfridge's understood these limitations as expressed in their columns.

[1] Callisthenes, "British Empire Week At Selfridge's," Times, May 20, 1924.

[2] Callisthenes, "British Empire Week At Selfridges."

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Callisthenes, "An Exhibition of British Glass," Times, April 14, 1931.

[6] Callisthenes, "An Exhibition of British Glass."

[7] Callisthenes, "Selfridges," Times, November 16, 1931.

[8] Callisthenes, "Love of Country-and Love of Hard Work," Times, October 25, 1932.

[9] Callisthenes, "Calmer Thoughts on 'Buy British." Times, August 8, 1934.

[10] Callisthenes, "Calmer Thoughts on 'Buy British."

Primary Sources

"The Opening of Selfridge's." The Times, March 16, 1909

Callisthenes. "British Empire Week At Selfridge's." Times, May 20, 1924.

Callisthenes. "An Exhibition of British Glass." Times, April 14, 1931.

Callisthenes. "Selfridges." Times, November 16, 1931.

Callisthenes. "Love of Country-and Love of Hard Work." Times, October 25, 1932.

Callisthenes. "Calmer Thoughts on 'Buy British." Times, August 8, 1934.

Holmes, Burton. "Seeing London." (1920) Video. https://archive.org/details/SeeingLo1920.

Secondary Sources

Ferry, John William. A History of the Department Store. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1960.

Pound, Reginald. Selfridge: A Biography. London: Heinemann, 1960.