Upmarket department store Harrods has hit back at a cheeky advertising campaign being run by DSGi-owned etailer Dixons.co.uk and raised the prospect of legal action.
Harrods, along with John Lewis and Selfridges, was targeted in ads advising shoppers to research product in the stores and then buy online from Dixons. The Knightsbridge shop’s lawyers have written to DSGi.
A Harrods spokeswoman said: “Not only is this is a low-down swipe by Dixons, but it is potentially misleading to customers who may think we offer a similar range of product, whereas in fact there is relatively little overlap.
“Our lawyers have sent Dixons a letter demanding that it substantiates the claims, but in the meantime customers might like to know that one of the few brands we have in common is Samsung - and we offer the 46” LED Backlight TV £100 cheaper.
“The reality is that at Harrods we offer an enormous range of electrical products, many of which are exclusive. We stock 65” and 103” Panasonic models, projection screens, custom builds and the Sony Galleria range - more than 30 in that range which online retailers cannot offer for sale.
“Despite the attempt at a sneer, they are unwittingly right about one thing, which is our service. Our customers experience the best assistance, in a pin-stripe or not, which is much more satisfying and enjoyable than dealing with a faceless person in a call centre.”
John Lewis head of brand communications Craig Inglis had earlier expressed surprise at Dixons’ campaign. He said: “Whilst we wouldn’t normally comment on competitor advertising, we do find it a bit odd that another business would try to make a virtue of the fact that they don’t have anything like a comparable service.
A DSGi spokesman said its campaign was tongue in cheek and designed to raise awareness of the Dixons.co.uk brand.
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