London, England - Harrods

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By Harry Preston

One of the world's most famous stores, Harrods has built its reputation on its Latin motto: "Omnia, omnibus, ubique" ("Everything, for everyone, everywhere") - Noel Coward was once given an alligator for Christmas, bought from Harrods' pet department.
Far more than a shop, it is an experience. Spend enough time - and money here - and you can organise almost all your life. From designing and fixing up your home (whether you're thinking Louis XIV opulence or Scandinavian minimalism), to scheduling your eyebrow-shaping session and planning the evening's dinner menu - everything can be done under one roof.
It has come a long way from the Stepney grocery store that specialised in tea and was set up by Charles Harrod in 1834. He used his intuition and moved to a small shop on the present site in 1849, feeling that the planned Great Exhibition of 1851 would be good for business.
Today the store covers more than 9.2ha (23 acres), with 330 departments and 5,000 staff. It has counted Oscar Wilde, Sigmund Freud and many members of the British Royal Family among its customers.
The terracotta palace on Brompton Road dates from 1901 and was designed by the architect of Claridge's hotel, C W Stephens. For many, the first-floor food halls are the highlight, as much for W J Neatley's tiled ceilings with hunting scenes above the fish, meat and poultry counters, as for the produce beneath.
In 1985 the Egyptian businessman Mohamed al-Fayed bought Harrods for £615 million. His renovations included installing a £20 million "Egyptian Escalator", designed with experts from the British Museum. Check at an information point when you go in on the day's programme. As well as catching a high-profile book signing, you may find opera singers performing arias on the moving stairway.
Try to have tea under the original art nouveau skylight in Harrods' flagship Georgian restaurant which offers a buffet, carvery and an a la carte menu (you will almost certainly need to book ahead for this), and pass by at night when the exterior is ablaze with 12,000 lightbulbs.
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The Best Rome Department Stores

Image via WikipediaIn Paris, the grands magasins, or big department stores, were an integral part of the turn-of-the-century redesign for the city. Beautiful Art Nouveau buildings for Printemps, Galleries Lafayette, and La Semaritaine replaced the passages that were the city's first indoor shopping arcades.
Visitors to Rome expecting to find departments stores in a league with those or Harrods in London may be a little disappointed. Since much of the city was laid out in ancient times, buildings, including the Rome department stores, are much smaller. But what they lack in size, they make up for in convenience - most are open every day until 9PM. If you're looking for a huge store with dozens of departments, those are mostly found on the ring road that encircles the city.
Many of the stores in the historic heart of the city are near fashionable Via Condotti. So if you don't find what you're looking for, you can head for the haute couture boutiques, such as Dolce & Gabbano or Versace.

The premier Italian department store, La Rinascente first opened in Milan in 1865. A pair of brothers began making men's clothes there and opened their first Rome store on Via del Corso in an old palazzo. The international Zara chain recently purchased La Rinascente and opened Rome locations in Galleria Alberto Sordi and suburban Piazza Fiume.

Both stores carry all the top Italian and international brands, including Armani Collezione, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, 7 for all Mankind, and Guess. For something stylish but more affordable, look for La Rinascente's own Ellerre brand. The perfume, cosmetics, and different fashion departments are set up like individual boutiques within the store. Clothing for men, women, and children are all gorgeous.

The Piazza Fiume location is a little off the beaten path, but if has beautiful housewares.

Coin doesn't quite have the cache of La Rinascente, but it's also a little less expensive. If you like brands like DKNY, Calvin Klein, Esprit, and Lacoste, you'll find them here, as well as good clothes for kids and nice things for the home. The main store is near the Vatican on Piazzale Appio. And with a Milan hair salon, restaurant, and bar, it's pretty full service.

The U.S. equivalent to Kohl's or Target, Oviesse has inexpensive accessories, cosmetics, and clothes that appeal to a younger crowd. So if you're traveling with teenagers, this should be on your list. Some of their store are also called OVS Industry or OVS. If you're shopping for a baby, Fiorucci designs for their Baby Angels boutiques. They're located all over Rome, so chances are there's one convenient to your hotel.

Unico Presso Italiano Milano (UPIM) was founded in 1928 in the town of Cremona. La Rinascente owned the chain until they sold them to Coin in early 2010. UPIM competes directly with H&M and they have their own fashion lines for kids, men, and women. Their BLUKIDS line is especially cute and well priced. This is a great place to come if you're looking for stylish things for the home too. They're on Via del Tritone not far from Palazzo Barberini.

Find more on Rome here. Or find London department stores here.

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