While many retailers are still trying to figure out how to modernize legacy formats, Harrods is proving something important:
Great retail never goes out of style when it keeps evolving.
Why Harrods Still Matters
Department stores have taken plenty of criticism over the last decade.
Some say the format is outdated. Others point to struggling chains and declining foot traffic as proof that the model no longer works.
Mark offered a more nuanced view.
Department stores fail when they become a patchwork of disconnected brands, uninspired environments, and no clear reason to visit. But when built around curation, convenience, and experience, they can still be incredibly powerful.
That distinction matters.
Harrods is not simply a place to shop. It is a destination. Customers can access many of the world’s top luxury brands in one location, supported by hospitality, service, and atmosphere that few retailers can replicate.
The format is not broken.
Execution is.
Excellence at Scale Is Still Possible
Harrods welcomes millions of visitors annually. Maintaining elite service standards at that volume is no small task.
Mark shared that the company uses customer surveys, direct feedback, and constant leadership visibility on the floor to stay close to what is happening in real time.
I loved that point.
In an era obsessed with dashboards and automation, some of the best retail insight still comes from walking the store, observing customer behavior, and listening closely to what people say.
Technology can help identify trends.
Presence helps you understand them.
That combination is what separates reactive retailers from great operators.
Personalization Should Feel Human
One of the strongest parts of our conversation centered on personalization.
Too often, personalization gets reduced to an email subject line, a birthday offer, or an algorithmic recommendation. Harrods thinks much bigger than that.
For top clients, personalization means understanding preferences, family milestones, favorite travel destinations, food and beverage tastes, and how they like to shop. Systems help store and share that information internally, but the delivery remains deeply human.
That is the key lesson.
Customers do not remember databases.
They remember how you made them feel.
The best technology often disappears into the background while people create the experience.
A Smart Way to Think About AI
Mark also had one of the more grounded perspectives on AI I heard all week.
Harrods does not have AI in job titles. It does not frame the future around hype cycles. Instead, the company evaluates AI through three lenses:
Operational efficiency.
How customers are using AI in daily life.
How Harrods customers may want to use AI in relation to the brand.
That is smart.
Too many companies start with the technology and then go searching for a problem. Harrods is starting with customer strategy and working backward.
Mark described the company as a thoughtful fast follower.
I think more retailers should adopt that mindset.
You do not need to be first to every trend. You need to be right about the ones that matter.
The Bottom Line
Harrods offers a powerful reminder that iconic brands do not stay iconic by protecting the past.
They stay relevant by refining what made them special in the first place.
For Harrods, that means service standards that never slip, curation that gives customers a reason to visit, personalization that feels human, and technology deployed with discipline.
Luxury retail may look glamorous from the outside.
But underneath it is systems thinking, operational rigor, and relentless attention to detail.
That is what Mark Blundell understands.
To catch more conversations from Retail Technology Show 2026 in London, follow Omni Talk Retail on LinkedIn or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail’s live coverage, and thank you to our listeners for joining us during the event.
Be careful out there,
Chris Walton and the Omni Talk team
*Sponsored Content*
Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.