CATEGORY

The men who created the first department stores—what Zola called "great cathedrals of shopping"—made vast fortunes, but no one understood how shopping could become sexy as well as Mr. Selfridge. In 1909, his department store—London’s first and built from scratch—opened in a glorious burst of publicity, spearheaded by the largest advertising campaign ever mounted in the British press. In his eponymous store, Harry Gordon Selfridge created nothing less than "the theater of retail." His personal life was just as flamboyant—one of mistresses and mansions, racehorses and yachts. In this revealing narrative, author Lindy Woodhead tells the extraordinary story of a revolution in shopping, depicts the rise and fall of a retail prince, and unravels a slice of social history that will surprise and entertain any woman who loves to shop.