Selfridges named Best Department Store in the World for the fourth time

Selfridges has been named the Best Department Store in the World for an unprecedented fourth time and will retain the honour until 2020.

The store, whose iconic flagship was opened on Oxford Street by American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge in 1909, won the accolade at the Global Department Store Summit held this week in London by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS).

Selfridges has been shaking up retail since it was opened and the Oxford Street store has been undergoing a multimillion pound transformation in recent years, including the creation of what is set to be the world's largest accessories department on its ground floor.

Managing director Anne Pitcher commented: “We are thrilled to have Selfridges recognised again as the best department store in the world. This award is a huge honour and perfectly timed, as we near the completion of our transformation programme, for Selfridges London. It is also a great tribute to the commitment of our teams and gives us even greater inspiration to exceed our customers’ expectations, in delivering extraordinary experiences.”

IGDS is the largest association of department stores worldwide and counts 42 members from 38 countries on five continents. Its Global Department Store Summit, held every two years, is the world’s only department store-focused discussion platform. The award ceremony marked the culmination of the summit, attended by over 380 prominent executives and stakeholders from the world over.