Tax haven: Selfridges opens new lounge for international customers

The new 1,600-square-metre space, set above the main entrance and Neo-Classical clock, will take care of everything from processing tax-free purchases to organising theatre tickets. In a sign of our international times, it also has a Mac bar and a Faith Room.

‘We talked a lot about bringing back the glamour of the institution, harking back to when services such as banking and air travel were truly aspirational,’ Tom Bartlett, founder of Waldo Works, the architecture and interiors studio that undertook the project, tells LS:N Global. ‘It needed an international appeal, but also needed to say something unique about London and Selfridges. International shoppers spend a huge amount of time in generic spaces, so we wanted to avoid that at all costs.’ The lush Rousseau-style interiors, referencing Selfridges’ early 20th-century Palm Court restaurant, and milk glass lighting achieve this.

The so-called Sixth Continent is becoming an increasingly dominant force in international luxury and retail strategy. For more on how to appeal to international consumers, watch our Luxury Futures Webinar.