Equally the turmoil of Brexit and double whammy loss of international travel during the pandemic and the removal of tax free shopping for UK tourists have not helped its ambition to stay relevant. Department stores are a downright difficult proposition in the modern age. In the US the Saks and Neiman Marcus saga rolls on, after a brutal Chapter 11 restructuring. Here, you only have to walk along Bond Street to see the cavernous skeleton of Fenwick (which shuttered in 2024 and is currently being turned into an office and retail complex) to see the impact. Selfridges is still fire fighting, with a new ultra-VIP floor, 40 Duke, recently opening to serve its highest net-worth clients, with the hope of coaxing both the aspiring shopper downstairs as well as the 0.1 per cent to stem its own losses.