Harry Gordon Selfridge founded the British department store Selfridges in 1909.
The flagship store opened on Oxford Street in London on March 15, 1909. Selfridge, an American retail entrepreneur who had previously worked at Marshall Field’s in Chicago, brought American-style merchandising and promotion to London. He emphasized attractive displays, entertainment, accessible product presentation, and the idea that shopping could be a leisure activity.
The Oxford Street building was designed by American architect Daniel Burnham and became a major landmark. Selfridge also helped popularize the phrase “the customer is always right,” although similar ideas had appeared in retail earlier.
The store’s name is sometimes confused with the Selfridge family name or with other London department stores such as Harrods and Liberty. Selfridges later expanded beyond its original Oxford Street location, but the London flagship remains the best-known symbol of the business founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge.