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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Harvey Nichols say to the escalator? You're always taking things to the next level.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail
GenreDepartment stores
Founded1831; 195 years ago (1831) in London, England, United Kingdom
FounderBenjamin Harvey
HeadquartersShirebrook, England
109–125 Knightsbridge, London, England, United Kingdom
Number of locations
11 (2026)
Area served
Key peopleJulia Goddard (CEO)
OwnerFrasers Group
ParentFrasers Group Trading Limited
Websiteharveynichols.com
Footnotes
[1]

Harvey Nichols is a British luxury department store chain founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey; it is headquartered at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. It sells designer fashion collections for men and women, fashion accessories, beauty products, fine wines and luxury foods. Previously owned by Hong Kong luxury goods company Dickson Concepts, it was acquired by Frasers Group in August 2026.

The chain has 11 locations worldwide across Hong Kong, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

History

[edit]

The business was founded by Benjamin Harvey as a linen shop in Knightsbridge in 1831. Harvey died in 1850, leaving the business in the care of his wife Anne, who went into partnership with Harvey's son-in-law, James Nichols, to form Harvey Nichols & Co.[2]

In 1889, the existing space was demolished to make way for a new department store. The building was designed by C. W. Stephens and built in stages between 1889 and 1894.[3] In 1920, Harvey Nichols was purchased by Debenhams and, in 1985 Debenhams including Harvey Nichols was acquired by the Burton Group.[4]

In October 1991, Dickson Poon of Dickson Concepts acquired Harvey Nichols from Debenhams (then part of the Burton Group) for £53.6 million.[5]

Throughout its run in the 1990s and 2000s, Harvey Nichols was heavily mentioned in BBC comedy series Absolutely Fabulous, starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.[6]

On 17 February 2014, Stacey Cartwright joined Harvey Nichols as chief executive officer of the Harvey Nichols Group of Companies. She replaced Joseph Wan, who held the position of chief executive officer for twenty-one years and who retired at the end of March 2014.[7]

Cartwright left the company on 30 April 2018, handing over control of the company to Daniela Rinaldi and Manju Malhotra. Under their management, Harvey Nichols generated £229 million for the year to 30 March 2019, which marked a nine percent increase from the year before.[8]

In November 2019, after Rinaldi resigned from the company, Malhotra, became sole chief operating officer, working closely with executive director Pearson Poon.[9]

On 16 August 2023, it was announced that Malhotra would leave Harvey Nichols at the end of the year after working for the company for over twenty-five years. Pearson Poon was subsequently appointed vice chairman.[10]

Kate Phelan was appointed as the brand's first-ever creative director in November 2024.[11]

In June 2026, Dickson Poon put the company up for sale, with several Asian and American parties, and Next plc, Frasers Group and Modella Capital being interested in it. Frasers Group were previously interested in some of its stores.[12][13][14]

On 9 August 2026, after Next and other bidders had withdrawn from the race to buy the company, Frasers Group became the sole bidder.[15] Their plan was to rebrand its stores, other than its Knightsbridge and Edinburgh flagships, into Flannels or Frasers shops.[16] Frasers Group's plan for the acquisition itself is to let Harvey Nichols collapse into administration, then it will acquire its assets such as its stores, brand and website, and then put them into its luxury division which encompasses Flannels and Frasers. Store space in the two remaining stores could be reduced to create space to feature other Frasers Group brands.[17]

Frasers Group completed the purchase of the business on 13 August 2026.[18] Its OXO restaurant was not sold to Frasers Group.[19] Franchise agreements for international operations remain in place.[20]

Harvey Nichols' only store in Ireland, located in Dublin, ceased trading on 13 August 2026.[21] The company entered liquidation on the same day, following two decades of poor sales performance in the Republic of Ireland. Financial difficulties affecting its operations in both Ireland and the UK contributed to the decision. After no buyer was found for the Irish business, thirty-three employees lost their jobs. The remaining stock in Ireland was acquired by Frasers Group and is being sold through its branded stores until the stock is fully cleared. Despite initial plans to expand its presence in Ireland, Harvey Nichols failed to establish itself as a well-known brand in the Irish market. The company subsequently significantly reduced the size of its Dublin store several years before its eventual liquidation.[22]

Locations

[edit]
Harvey Nichols Bristol store at Cabot Circus opened in September 2008. The tower above is luxury flats.
A branch store in Central, Hong Kong

The London flagship store is in Knightsbridge, a short distance from rival Harrods.[2] In 1996 Harvey Nichols launched its first stand-alone restaurant in London, the OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar, and Brasserie, viewing the River Thames. OXO and three of the in-store restaurants were designed by London-based architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands. During the same year, Harvey Nichols opened its first store outside London in Leeds: a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) store in the 19th century Victoria Quarter, dubbed at the time "Knightsbridge of the North".[23]

Due to the company's ambition to expand into Scotland, several potential locations were considered in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Eventually the company bought a site in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, and the £32 million project was under way. The store opened in Summer 2002.[24]

After the 1996 Manchester bombing in the centre of Manchester, the city underwent major redevelopment. Harvey Nichols announced in 2000 they would open a 100,000 sq ft (9,000 m2) flagship store to help revive the city. The store opened in 2002 on New Cathedral Street, next door to its rival Selfridges which had opened a year earlier. Along with fashion, the Manchester store accommodates beauty, food, wine and a bar/brasserie on the second floor.[25]

Harvey Nichols trialled a 22,000 square foot (2000 m2 "Beauty Bazaar" store in Manesty's Lane in the Liverpool One shopping area in 2012. The store has now become a permanent location for the company.[26]

Harvey Nichols has had a presence at The Mailbox in Birmingham since 2001. In May 2013 they announced that they were to double the size of the store. The new store, a few doors down, covers 45,000 square feet, double the size of the existing store.[27]

List of Harvey Nichols stores[28]
Country City Shopping center or district Year
opened		 Year
closed		 Notes
Azerbaijan Baku 2015 2015 Converted to BARKERS after terminating licence agreement[29][30]
China Hong Kong The Landmark 2005 2023 [31]
Pacific Place 2011 N/a [32]
England Birmingham The Mailbox 2001 N/a
Bristol Cabot Circus 2008 N/a
Leeds Victoria Leeds 1996 N/a
Liverpool Liverpool One 2012 2025 Beauty Bazaar[33]
London Knightsbridge 1831 N/a Flagship store
Manchester New Cathedral Street 2002 N/a
Indonesia Jakarta Grand Indonesia 2008 2010 Operated by Mitra Adiperkasa[34]
Ireland Dublin Dundrum Town Centre 2005 2026 Harvey Nichols Ireland entered liquidation on 13 August 2026[22]
Kuwait Kuwait City The Avenues 2012 N/a
Qatar Doha Doha Festival City 2018 N/a Operated by Al Maya Group of Companies[35]
Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al-Faysaliyah Tower 2000 N/a [36]
Scotland Edinburgh St. Andrew's Square 2002 N/a
Turkey Istanbul Kanyon Shopping Mall 2006 2021 Operated by DEMSA Group[37]
Ankara's Next Level 2017 2020 [38]
United Arab Emirates Dubai Mall of the Emirates 2006 N/a Operated by Al Tayer Insignia[39]

Controversies

[edit]

Soon after opening a new store in Edinburgh in 2002, the managers faced an official complaint after staff tried to stop a homeless man selling the Big Issue magazine outside.[40]

In mid-2003 objections were made to a Harvey Nichols magazine advertisement that appeared in Vogue, Elle and Harpers & Queen and on a poster. The complainants objected that the advertisement was irresponsible, because it showed unsafe driving and was offensive to people who had been, or who knew people who had been involved in road accidents.[41]

In September 2013, Harvey Nichols resumed the sale of fur in its United Kingdom stores following a decade-long embargo.[42] The decision attracted much criticism, focusing on the way animals were treated. The company denied allegations of cruelty and insisted its furs are ethically sourced from reputable suppliers.[42]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "About Us". Harvey Nichols. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 Harrod, Robin (2017). The Jewel of Knightsbridge: The Origins of the Harrods Empire. History Press. ISBN 978-0750981941.
  3. ↑ "Harrods Store Heritage Asset Guidelines" (PDF). Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. Retrieved 6 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  4. ↑ Canderle, Sebastien (2016). The Debt Trap How leverage impacts private-equity performance. Harriman House. p. 272. ISBN 978-0857195418.
  5. ↑ "Harvey Nichols: Dickson's Triumph: Dicksons Concepts used tough tactics to make Harvey Nichols a success". Women's Wear Daily. 16 September 1997. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  6. ↑ Chambers, Sam (20 August 2023). "Harvey Nichols: Not so fabulous these days, darling" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  7. ↑ "Vogue- Meet Harvey Nichols's New CEO". 8 January 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Harvey Nichols posts jump in sales and profit". RetailADR. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Jahshan, Elias (21 November 2019). "Harvey Nichols co-COO Daniela Rinaldi resigns". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Harvey Nichols: Chefin verlässt Luxushändler". FashionUnited. 16 August 2023.
  11. ↑ Shoaib, Maliha (4 November 2024). "Harvey Nichols appoints Kate Phelan as first-ever creative director". Vogue Business. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  12. ↑ "Mike Ashley crashes Harvey Nichols sale as Next bidding war looms - Retail Gazette". 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Leung, byGloria. "Hong Kong retail billionaire in talks to sell Harvey Nichols, FT reports". www.thestandard.com.hk. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  14. ↑ UK, FashionNetwork com (20 July 2026). "Modella reportedly eyes Harvey Nichols, Murray says brands don't object to a Frasers bid". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Harvey Nichols risks collapse without rescue deal". The Telegraph.
  16. ↑ "Mike Ashley says Harvey Nichols is in a 'death spiral'". Financial Times. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Billionaire Ashley leads race to clinch takeover of Harvey Nichols". Sky News. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Harvey Nichols bought by owner of Sports Direct". BBC News. 13 August 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Harvey Nichols Dundrum bust as liquidators appointed". RTÉ. 13 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Butler, Sarah (13 August 2026). "Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley buys Harvey Nichols". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "A case of Dunkirk but not Dundrum for Mike Ashley and Harvey Nichols". The Irish Times. 14 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Harvey Nichols Dublin store enters liquidation amid Frasers Group acquisition". TheIndustry.fashion. 13 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Whitfield, Graeme (15 October 2021). "Harvey Nichols to celebrate 25th anniversary of Leeds store". Business Live.
  24. ↑ "Harvey Nichols Building Edinburgh, Scotland: Architecture". Lothians. 28 September 2010.
  25. ↑ "Harvey Nichols Opens In Manchester". FashionUnited. 19 August 2003.
  26. ↑ Houghton, Alistair. "'Liverpool One Shop For Harvey Nichols' – Liverpool Echo, 9th January 2012". Liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  27. ↑ Alexander, Ella (30 May 2013). "Harvey Nichols' New Move: Bigger, Better And in Birmingham". Vogue. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  28. ↑ "Search Harvey Nichols Careers, Jobs In Retail, Hospitality, Head Office, UK". Harvey Nichols.
  29. ↑ Butler, Sarah (22 July 2015). "Harvey Nichols drops Azerbaijan store after split with business partner". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  30. ↑ "Barkers Baku (@barkersbaku) • Instagram photos and videos". instagram.com. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  31. ↑ "Harvey Nichols to leave Landmark mall in Hong Kong's Central after 18 years". South China Morning Post. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  32. ↑ Tatler, Asia. "Harvey Nichols Opens Asia Flagship Store in Pacific Place". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  33. ↑ WW, FashionNetwork com (18 March 2025). "Harvey Nichols to shutter Liverpool One Beauty Bazaar". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  34. ↑ "Harvey Nichols to Close Just 2 Years After Opening". Bataviase.co.id. 17 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  35. ↑ Jahshan, Elias (11 May 2018). "Harvey Nichols opens new Qatar flagship". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  36. ↑ "System Magazine". System Magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  37. ↑ Yesilada, Atilla (19 April 2021). "Harvey Nichols quitting Turkey". P.A.Turkey. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  38. ↑ Haberler, Güncel (19 April 2021). "Harvey Nichols Türkiye'den Çekiliyor". Fortune Turkey.
  39. ↑ "Harvey Nichols". Mall of the Emirates. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  40. ↑ "Magazine sales a Big Issue at Harvey Nicks". The Scotsman. UK. 17 August 2002. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  41. ↑ "EasyJet faces ASA rap as 'sexist and offensive' ad is investigated". Marketing Week. 12 June 2003. The ASA has also ordered Harvey Nichols to withdraw its press and poster ad, which shows a female car driver applying lipstick and a blurred photograph of a pedestrian through the windscreen, on the grounds of it being irresponsible and offensive to people who have been involved in road accidents.
  42. 1 2 Brown, Annie (27 November 2014). "Cruel in the Name of Cool; PETA Video Disputes Claims of Industry's 'Ethical' Label". Daily Record. Scottish Daily Record & Sunday – via TheFreeLibrary. PETA are continuing to target Harvey Nichols, who recently abandoned their decade-long fur-free policy in order to start selling Origin Assured fur.
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51°30′06″N 0°09′35″W / 51.5016°N 0.1598°W / 51.5016; -0.1598

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