Products and services

Harrods, the world's greatest department store, has more extravagant items for sale than any other store under the sun. Here you can buy anything from a pin to an elephant (a baby elephant named Gertie was bought at Harrods as a present for Ronald Reagan)....

A wide range of products on offer include clothing for women, men, children and infants, electronics, jewellery, sporting gear, pets and pet accessories, toys, food and drink, health and beauty items, gifts, stationery, housewares, home appliances, furniture, and much more.

There is a popular myth that everything in Harrods is very expensive. This isn’t true; only some of the items are very expensive. To take a simple example, a copy of The Times costs the same as from a news stall.

S hop services includes 32 restaurants, serving everything from high tea to haute cuisine; a personal shopping-assistance programme; a watch repair service; a tailor; a pharmacy; a beauty spa and salon; a barbers shop; Harrods Financial Services; Harrods Bank; private events planning and catering; food delivery etc. In 2009, Harrods Bank started selling gold bars and coins. The gold products range from 1g to 12.5 kg.

From obvious luxuries like jewellery and interior design, to less known services like dog coat fitting, Harrods lives up to its world-wide reputation for providing 'all things, for all people, everywhere.

Dress code

Since 1989 Harrods has a dress code policy and has turned away several people who it believes are not dressed appropriately. These include a soldier in uniform, a scout troop, a woman with a mohican hair cut, a 15 stone (95 kg) woman and FC Shakhtar Donetsk's first team for wearing tracksuits.

Note: turn away - прогонять; не пускать

Harrods-for Lovers of Facts and Figures

• 1 11.500 square meters with almost 74,000 square meters of selling space.

• Up to 300,000 customers visit the store on peak days.

• More than 5000 staff from over 50 different countries.

• 330 departments on seven selling floors.

• A fleet of 47 delivery vehicles make up to 225,000 deliveries every year around the world.

• 11,500 light bulbs illuminate Harrods each night.

> Harrods has almost its own station. An exit from the underground at Knightsbridge is just a few metres from the store entrance (1).

>  The Harrods motto can be seen on its facade (2)

> The baroque dome (3) conceals the water tank for the store. Harrods has its own water supply from 3 wells, one of which is nearly 500ft deep.

> For a while the store occupied just the ground and first floor, while above were four floors of luxurious apartments. The entrance to the apartments can still be seen in Hans Road (4)

> The signs on the doors (5) give advice on how Harrods expects its customers to look and behave.

Complaining in a shop

 Excuse me, I'm sorry but I bought this (pullover) yesterday and it's too (big). Is it possible to change it? —Can I see your receipt?

 Excuse me, I bought this (camera) yesterday, and it doesn't dose properly. —Oh, you're right. I'm sorry. I'll give you a new one.

 There's a (button) missing.

 It doesn't work.

 It's scratched/torn/dirty.

 I wonder if I could speak to the manager, please. I'm not very happy about this. I'd like to see the manager, please.

I'm afraid/ I'm sorry/ Thank you/ thank you very much.

Can you guess what the objects were?

Task 14. Act out the dialogues.

Dialogue 6. KEEP THE RECEIPT IN THE SAFE PLACE.

John is very happy to buy a Blue Tooth at a pretty good price. When he checks out at the register, he asks the cashier about the return policy....

Cashier:	Is there anything else you would like to buy?
John:	No, thank you. I guess that's it. By the way, in case there's a defect in this Blue Tooth, can I return it?
Cashier:	Yes. But you must return it within 30 days.
John:	Is there a charge for that? I know other stores have a re-stocking fee.
Cashier:	There will be no charge at all. However, you must show us the receipt. (The cashier is handing the receipt over to John for him to sign.) Could you sign it here, please?
John:	Thank you.
Cashier:	All right. Keep your receipt. If something comes up, you can show it to us and we'll give you a refund.
John:	Thanks. I'll put it in a safe place.

Dialogue 7. RETURNING AN ITEM TO A SHOP

A :	Can I help you?
C :	Yes. I’d like to return these jeans.
A :	May I ask why you’re returning them?
C :	I bought them for my son, but they’re too short.
A :	Do you have the receipt?
C :	Yes, here it is.
A :	I’m sorry. These jeans were on sale. There are no refunds on sale items. You can exchange them for something else.
C :	Do you have the jeans in a larger size?
A :	Let me check. [a minute later] I’m afraid they have sold out.
C :	Okay. I’ll come back next week and see if I can find something else he might like.

Task 15. Work with your partner. Role-play the dialogue, substituting the different expressions below. Then reverse roles.

Can I help you? Yes, I’d like to return this top.

May I help you? Yes, I want to return this jacket.

May I ask why you’re returning it?/Can I ask why you’re returning it?

I bought it for my son, but it’s too small.

My husband / It doesn’t fit

My daughter / She didn’t like the colour.

My friend. / She didn’t like the style.

Do you have the receipt?

There are no refunds on sale items.

We don’t give refunds if the items were on sale.

We don’t give you your money back if the item was on sale.

Do you have the top in a larger size? (a smaller size/ in a different colour)

Task 16. Match the words or expressions below with the correct meaning on the right.

Words and expressions		Meaning
1.	return	a)	available to buy
2.	on sale	b)	give back
3.	sold out	c)	swap
4.	refund	d)	no more available to buy
5.	exchange	e)	proof of purchase
6.	receipt	f)	reduced price
7.	valid	g)	look for
8.	for sale	h)	give back money
9.	see if I can find	i)	able to use
10.	credit note	j)	note allowing customer to purchase goods to the value specified

Task 17. Now try it yourself. Complete the dialogue below with appropriate expressions:

A : ______________________________________________________________?

C : Yes. __________________________________________________________.

A : _________________________________________why you’re returning them?

C : I bought them for ________________________________________________

A : Do you have your ________________________________________________?

C : Yes, here it is.`

A : I’m sorry. These jeans were________________________________________.

You can exchange them for something else or we can give you a credit note.

C : Do you have the _________________________________________________?

A : _______________________________________________________________ .

(a minute later)

C : Okay, I’ll take a credit note. ________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ ?

A : It’s ____________________________________________________for a year.

C : Okay. I’ll come back next week and see if I can find something else he might

like.

Task 18. Now practice a situation using the expressions above.

Match the denomination to the pictures.

1 half dollar - …	2 quarter dollar - …	3 one dime - …	4 five cents - …	5 one cent - …
A. a penny	E. 50 cents F. a five dollar bill G. a dollar bill		H. a hundred-dollar bill
B. a nickel			I. a twenty-dollar bill
C. 25 cents			J a ten-dollar bill K. a fifty-dollar bill
D. 10 cents

6	7	8
9	10	11