Harry Gordon Selfridge said what?

The TV series Mr Selfridge is proving quite popular.

Here are some of the great quotes from the real Harry Gordon Selfridge:

• People will sit up and take notice of you if you will sit up and take notice of what makes them sit up and take notice.
• The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm.
• The boss says ‘I’; the leader, ‘we.’
• The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown.
• The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how.
• The boss says ‘Go’; the leader says ‘Let’s go!’
• The customer is always right.
• Treat the customer as guests when they come and when they go, whether or not they buy.
• Excite the mind and the hand will reach for the pocket.
• Get the confidence of the public and you will have no difficulty in getting their patronage. Inspire your whole force with the right spirit of service.
• The boss drives people; the leader coaches them. The boss depends on authority; the leader on goodwill.

Harry Selfridge: Life and Legacy

Harry Gordon Selfridge, born in 1858 in Wisconsin, started life with humble beginnings and only modest prospects. After working from a young age to support his single mother, Selfridge began a career at Marshall Field’s in Chicago, eventually becoming a partner and learning the intricacies of retail. In 1906, his entrepreneurial ambition led him across the Atlantic, where he invested a substantial fortune in opening Selfridges on Oxford Street, London, in 1909.

His vision fundamentally changed the way people shopped. Selfridge believed in shopping for pleasure rather than necessity. He was one of the first to encourage browsing and transformed shopping into an experience, with innovations such as allowing customers to handle merchandise, hosting extravagant promotional events, offering in-store amenities like restaurants and lounges, and emphasising service above all else. His famous maxim “The customer is always right” encapsulated his customer-centric philosophy and helped create an inviting, democratic retail space for all genders and classes.

Selfridge’s impact endures in modern retailing principles. He pioneered “retailtainment” by blending commerce and spectacle, predicted the rise of experiential shopping, and championed staff empowerment. His legacy can be seen every time a customer browses freely, attends a special in-store event, or enjoys services that turn shopping into an occasion rather than a chore. Although his personal fortune declined later in life, his innovations have shaped department stores globally and set the standard for customer-focused retail.

Kevin Harrington

I’m a UK-based B2B marketing consultant, specialising in strategic advice for SME business owners. I bring extensive hands-on expertise to every client engagement. Senior leadership roles across technology, media, payments, and publishing have shaped my practical approach. Highlights include serving as Chief Marketing Officer at The Panoply plc (now TPXimpact), Chief Commercial Officer at Tungsten Network, and Global Marketing Director at BBC Worldwide. Over the years, I’ve guided numerous SMEs through transformation and value creation. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is a genuine passion. Practical marketing insights and succession planning strategies are at the heart of what I do, as I believe growing a business’s asset value should be a rewarding and positive journey for every entrepreneur.

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