IADS Exclusive: Fortnum & Mason: the art of staying small to matter more
Fortnum & Mason is the only department store whose core economic engine is food and drink, generating nearly two-thirds of revenue. Located on London’s Piccadilly, the store is 6,000 square metres and employs around 1,000 staff. It currently holds two royal warrants granted by King Charles III and Queen Camillai.
As for other department stores, such as Galeries Lafayette, Fortnum & Mason is privately owned. Positioned as a heritage luxury department store with a single cultural landmark flagship widely regarded as a tourist attraction, Fortnum & Mason is characterised by a predominance of full-price luxury merchandise and great international brand awareness, attracting affluent travellers.
Over three centuries, the grocer-turned-icon, still trading under the same turquoise colour, has converted from supplying the Crown into profitable retail ventures. Fortnum & Mason offers a blueprint of how heritage meets innovation, how experience can protect against footfall volatility and how operational efficiency enhances brand storytelling.
i : The warrant itself is a physical document which legally entitles a business to display The Royal Coat of Arms in their store and on their brand materials. In the simplest terms, Royal Warrants can be thought of as a formal acknowledgement or 'seal of approval' from The Royal Family. Royal Warrants are valid for up to five years and are not automatically transferred from one monarch’s reign to the next; for example, all of Queen Elizabeth II’s warrants were put on hold following her death in 2022 and holders were invited to re-apply under King Charles III’s reign.
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