Selfridges rejigs management responsibilities and targets more womenswear space in £300m investment

Store director Meave Wall is to join Selfridges’ executive team, reporting to UK managing director Anne Pitcher.

Wall will focus on “delivering an outstanding customer experience” in the transformed space, which will have a distinct ‘London’ identity, Pitcher said.

Operations director Sue West will concentrate on leading the implementation of the project which, as well as creating a new, best-in-class accessories department will release 30,000 sq ft of additional womenswear space on the third floor which will be devoted to contemporary brands.

“This £300m investment will bring benefits not only to our business but to the economic future for the West End “

Paul Kelly, Selfridges

Pitcher told Retail Week that the changes would be in the “experiential” style pioneered by Selfridges.

She said of the accessories department: “We can look forward to our current partners being presented in an unusual way, as part of a London store.

“It’s becoming increasingly important for brands to differentiate and this will need to be a London destination and one of the best destinations in the world.

“We’ll look to work with brand partners and make it a very experiential place – that’s very much part of our heritage.”

Selfridges hopes shortly to appoint an architect for the scheme, which will include a new entrance and transformation of the eastern, Duke Street side of the store.

Selfridges group chief executive Paul Kelly said: “Selfridges attracts over 20 million visitors annually to its London store.  

“This £300m investment will bring benefits not only to our business but to our wider commitment to constantly play a leading role in building a brighter economic future for the West End and London.”

As part of the overall changes, about half of Selfridges’ headquarters staff will move to new offices at Nations House on Wigmore Street and access the store through a specially built tunnel.