ES Best. ES Mag. Follow us:. Password Please enter a valid password. Submit Submit. By Joanna Bourke. I was very much involved with him on the purchasing of Selfridges. It was an incredible process and he had a specific vision to turn Selfridges into an unbelievable world-class emporium, a trophy business. He believed the windows were critically important. He was there, always supporting us. He was absolutely an inspirational leader, a man of strength and vision.
He had this uncanny ability to make it happen. What a lot of people thought was impossible, he made possible. He redefined what luxury retailing meant in Canada and Europe and he made shopping fun. He loved retail. He was very active in the detail of retail. I learnt so much from Galen Weston and am honoured to have had the opportunity to work with him over many years.
I will miss him dearly. He was someone who truly believed in us and inspired us. I have never met anyone quite like him before. Woodhead said Weston was keen on the history of the store, and gave her full access to the company archives when she was doing her research. The store looks like a spaceship from the outside.
Weston was singular in his vision for Selfridges: Shortly after acquiring the store he put the stops on further expansion plans in smaller English cities such as Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle. In addition, Weston did not see Selfridges as competing with U. It was just two years ago that Weston stepped down as chairman of Selfridges Group, and took on the title of chairman emeritus.
The Selfridges Group later acquired de Bijenkorf in the Netherlands in , expanding its retail reach into continental Europe. The upscale chain has received an unsolicited approach for the flagship London store and a number of other department stores currently owned by the wealthy Weston family.
The family has appointed Credit Suisse as adviser to consider what the next step forward for the company could be, with proceedings currently understood to be at an early stage and may not lead to a transaction. London, like other major cities reliant on overseas income from tourists and international travellers, is likely to lag other retail locations in its recovery, given the slow return of travel. Oxford Street especially has been devastated by retail closures and a lack of estate management along the street.
About 9. Assessing the value of the real estate will be a key part of any possible sale. A chance to own the Beaux Arts store on Oxford Street is a hugely attractive proposition. While mass-market department store chains have endured a torrid time across the U. However, in the U. Both have flagships on Oxford Street and while John Lewis has announced plans to convert upper floor retail space into offices, Debenhams and House of Fraser have closed their stores.
0コメント