As shopping online becomes increasingly convenient, retailers need to entice shoppers to their stores with attractive in-store experiences. Department stores often go above and beyond to provide a luxurious shopping experience, so much so that they are tourist attractions in their own right. A trip to London might not feel complete without a trip to Harrods and who can resist a stop at Macy’s whilst in New York?

But which department store is the most iconic of them all? Using a list of the 50 most famous department stores worldwide, CouponPi analyzed more than 46,000 reviews to uncover the world’s best department stores.

The world’s top 10 best department stores

To name the world’s best department stores, CouponPi considered the average rating of online reviews for each department store alongside the number of times words indicating a positive experience were used.

Department stores around the world were analyzed, from KaDeWe in Berlin to Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Singapore. But one city did exceptionally well: the study found that three of the top five department stores in the world are in London.

The world’s top 10 department stores
Rank
Department store
Branch/location
City
Average rating out of 5
% of positive sentiment reviews
Final score out of 10
1
Fortnum & Mason
Piccadilly
London
4.6
62.1%
10.0
2
El Palacio de Hierro (Polanco)
Polanco
Mexico City
4.6
57.4%
9.6
3
Liberty London
Regent Street
London
4.5
55.3%
9.0
4
Arnotts
Henry Street
Dublin
4.4
60.9%
8.9
5
Selfridges
Oxford Street
London
4.5
52.5%
8.8
6
Printemps Haussmann
64 Bd Haussmann
Paris
4.6
45.5%
8.7
7
Takashimaya Shopping Centre Singapore
Ngee Ann City
Singapore
4.5
49.9%
8.6
8
Bloomingdale’s
59th Street
New York
4.4
56.2%
8.5
9
Saks Fifth Avenue
Midtown
New York
4.4
54.9%
8.4
10
Le Bon Marché
Paradise
Paris
4.5
44.9%
8.2
Fortnum & Mason, London
Fortnum & Mason began life as a grocery store founded by an ex-footman to Queen Anne, but today it’s an upmarket department store known for the quality of its food produce. And considering both the average rating (4.6) and how positive the reviews are (62.1%), Fortnum & Mason is the world’s best department store – the top in both categories and scoring an impressive 10 out of 10 overall.

The department store is famous for its signature pretty blue-green color and quaint food hampers, but did you also know the store claims responsibility for the world’s first scotch egg? Reviewers described a visit to Fortnum & Mason as an ‘epicurean adventure!’ ‘It’s the nicest shop I’ve been to in London’ and a ‘tea drinkers’ paradise’.

El Palacio de Hierro, Mexico City
El Palacio de Hierro is a chain of 16 department stores across Mexico. Their inaugural five-story location was the first iron and steel building in the city, hence earning the name “the Iron Palace”. The flagship store in Polanco was remodeled and reopened in 2016, and clearly to great success.

The department store scores 9.6 out of 10 – with an average rating of 4.6 and a 57.4% positive sentiment rating. Reviewers rave about its cleanliness, spaciousness, and choice of brands (“If they don’t have it, it doesn’t exist!” one reviewer wrote). They also note the wide selection of food and the Champagne bar on the bottom floor.

Liberty London, London
Liberty London, known for its black and white mock Tudor storefront (made from the timber of two battleships) and avant-garde fashion, was a favorite of poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. The store is still as iconic as it was in the 19th century, with an average review rating of 4.5 and a positivity score of 55.3%. It places 3rd in the study with a score of 9.0 out of 10.

Reviewers described a visit to Liberty London as “a sensorial delight!!!” and “the most beautiful department store of all time” and suggested a visit to the historic haberdashery and textiles section.

Arnotts, Dublin
Founded in 1843, Arnotts is the oldest and largest department store in Ireland. After some financial trouble in the last 10 years, Arnotts is now owned by Selfridges. With a 4.4 average rating and 60.9% positive sentiment score, the Irish store clinches the 4th spot in this study with a final score of 8.9.

What makes Arnotts so special? According to many reviews, the people. Reviewers thanked the “really nice, charming and helpful staff” who went “above and beyond” or that “truly made my day”.

Selfridges, London
After Harrods department store, Selfridges is the 2nd largest retail premise in the UK (at a huge 50,000m²). Founded in 1906 by American Harry Gordon Selfridge who was unimpressed with the quality and selection of retail choices in the UK, Selfridges appealed to increasingly independent women looking to shop for pleasure rather than necessity.

The average rating for the store is 4.5 with a 52.5% positive sentiment score, scoring 8.8 overall. Reviewers mentioned the world-famous window displays and exclusive products.