HARRODS qZERO®
Sustainability Score
United Kingdom Founded in 1849, Harrods has grown from a small London grocer into one of the world’s most recognised luxury department stores. Its Knightsbridge home is known for exceptional service, curated products, and a deep connection to British heritage. Over time, Harrods has combined tradition with innovation—bringing together global brands, emerging designers, and carefully selected experiences under one roof.
Today, the brand is also shaping how luxury retail responds to changing expectations around responsibility. Harrods shares information on areas such as sourcing, packaging, and community initiatives through its corporate responsibility work, helping customers understand how products and services are evolving. In a world where many environmental claims can be unclear or overstated, transparent and evidence-based communication is increasingly important for trust. Harrods’ journey reflects a balance between heritage and progress—offering customers a more informed way to enjoy luxury while staying aware of its wider impact.
HARRODS business sustainability position is in line with average compared to other companies in the E-commerce and General Retail.
HARRODS positioning within the E-commerce and General Retail
Harrods reflects many of the strengths and challenges seen across premium retail. Its focus on quality and long-lasting products supports a more considered way of buying, which can help reduce waste compared to fast-moving retail models. The brand also shares information on sourcing, packaging, and operations, helping customers better understand how products are chosen.
At the same time, as with much of the sector, there is scope to provide clearer, measurable updates on areas such as supply chain conditions, environmental impact, and governance. For shoppers, this means Harrods offers a thoughtful starting point—combining craftsmanship and transparency, while continuing to build a fuller picture of its wider impact.
Harrods is a luxury department store offering a wide range of products and services, from designer fashion, beauty, and fine jewellery to food, homeware, and personalised experiences. Customers can explore both established global brands and exclusive in-house collections, alongside services such as personal shopping, bespoke tailoring, and curated gifting. The store also includes restaurants, food halls, and lifestyle services, creating a destination where shopping blends with hospitality and craftsmanship. Each product is selected with a focus on quality, heritage, and design, helping customers find items that are valued and enjoyed over time.
Harrods positions itself in the luxury market, where affordability is not the primary focus. Instead, the brand emphasises long-lasting quality, careful sourcing, and considered production as part of its approach to responsibility. By offering durable products and timeless design, Harrods encourages customers to buy less but choose well. The brand also shares information on sourcing, packaging, and partnerships through its corporate responsibility work, helping shoppers make more informed decisions. While prices remain premium, this approach supports a shift towards value over volume—aligning quality, transparency, and more thoughtful consumption without making broad or unverified claims.
Harrods brings a thoughtful approach to responsibility within luxury retail by focusing on how products are sourced, made, and experienced. The brand works with selected suppliers and partners to improve visibility across materials and production, helping customers better understand where products come from. It also looks at how its stores and operations run day to day, with actions aimed at using energy more efficiently and reducing waste where possible.
For people, Harrods places importance on employee wellbeing, skills development, and creating an inclusive workplace. Clear policies and internal checks guide how the business operates, helping maintain trust and consistency. While progress is shared in key areas, continued, measurable updates will help customers see how these actions translate into real-world impact over time.
Harrods shows a clear focus on reducing its day-to-day impact, particularly through its stores and operations' energy use and waste management. Actions in these areas suggest a practical approach to improving efficiency behind the scenes. The brand also recognises the importance of nature and responsible sourcing, reflecting growing awareness of how products and materials connect to wider ecosystems.
There is still more to build on. Clearer information on materials, including where they come from and how they are chosen, would help strengthen trust. Continued progress on reducing emissions across the full supply chain, alongside stronger water management planning, will be important for long-term resilience.
Harrods shows a people-focused approach through its support for employees, customers, and wider communities. Community initiatives and charitable giving are visible parts of its work, alongside efforts to build an inclusive workplace and maintain strong health and safety standards. Investment in training and skills also supports service quality, helping employees grow while delivering a more considered customer experience.
There are areas where more clarity would strengthen confidence. Open communication between employees and the business, clear standards across supply chains, and strong protection of customer data are all important for trust. Sharing more detailed updates in these areas can help customers better understand how Harrods supports people at every stage of its operations.
Harrods demonstrates a structured approach to its operations, with clear processes that support transparency, business continuity, and consistent quality. Strong controls around product quality and safety help protect customers and reinforce trust in the brand. Policies guiding how Harrods works with suppliers and partners are in place, providing a stable foundation for responsible business practice across its operations.
There are areas where greater clarity would further strengthen confidence. More visible information on ethical standards, how decisions are overseen, and how customer data is protected would help customers better understand how the business manages risk. Regular, detailed updates in these areas can support a more complete and trustworthy picture of how Harrods operates behind the scenes.
Harrods stands out for bringing together heritage, exclusivity, and carefully curated choice in one place. Its unique strength lies in offering a complete luxury experience—where high-quality products, trusted global brands, and personalised services come together seamlessly. Rather than focusing on fast trends, Harrods highlights craftsmanship, longevity, and attention to detail. The brand also shares clear information on areas such as sourcing and packaging through its corporate responsibility work, helping customers understand how products are selected. For shoppers, this creates a more confident way to choose luxury—where experience, quality, and transparency are valued alongside style.
Harrods presents a balanced picture of responsibility in luxury retail. The brand shows clear intent through its focus on quality, longer-lasting products, and greater openness around sourcing and operations. These are important steps in a sector often linked to high resource use and complex supply chains. At the same time, like many global retailers, there is still more to share—particularly around measurable progress, supply chain conditions, and full product impact.
Public scrutiny in recent years has also highlighted the importance of strong oversight, ethical standards, and transparency across all areas of the business. For shoppers, this means looking beyond brand image and focusing on clear, practical information when making choices.
Harrods has the scale and influence to shape a more thoughtful version of luxury—one that values craftsmanship, clear information, and responsible sourcing. Continued progress will depend on more detailed reporting, stronger visibility across supply chains, and helping customers easily identify lower-impact options in-store and online.
Choosing well is a simple but powerful step. By paying attention to quality, information, and durability, you can enjoy luxury in a way that feels considered, informed, and aligned with a more responsible future.
Harrods shares a broader responsibility strategy across its business and products, but the clearly named sustainability certifications and certification-linked programmes are concentrated in its own-label food sourcing policies rather than on a single business-wide certification page. On its main responsibility pages, Harrods says its sourcing standards set out the guidelines, standards, and certifications it expects suppliers to meet.
For shoppers, that means the most reliable way to read Harrods’ certification story is to look for specific product-category commitments, especially in food. The entries below separate named certifications and recognised certification-linked programmes from broader policies, so the information stays clear and avoids overstating what is publicly confirmed.
Harrods states that it commits to only using RSPO-certified palm oil in its own-label products that contain palm oil. Its palm oil policy is built on the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil criteria and principles, and Harrods also asks suppliers to provide documentary evidence of certification. This is the clearest named product certification publicly confirmed on the pages reviewed.
In its tea sourcing policy, Harrods says suppliers must source tea either from third-party certification schemes or directly from tea farmers approved by Harrods’ technical team. The policy specifically names Rainforest Alliance as an established third-party programme it recognises, and says suppliers should provide documentary evidence confirming certification to an accredited scheme.
Harrods’ cocoa policy names the Rainforest Alliance as one of the third-party-certified responsible cocoa programmes it recognises. The brand presents this as part of its responsible cocoa sourcing approach for its own-label products.
Harrods also names Cocoa Horizons in its cocoa policy as a recognised responsible cocoa programme focused on improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their communities. This is a named programme on the Harrods site, although Harrods presents it as a recognised sourcing programme rather than as a business-wide certification for the whole brand.
Across the Harrods responsibility homepage, products page, business page, and the latest report page reviewed here, I did not find a clearly stated company-wide sustainability certification such as B Corp or ISO 14001. Harrods instead presents a responsibility framework built around its own strategy, supplier standards, and category-specific sourcing policies.
Certification details can change as policies are updated and new product ranges are introduced, so it is worth checking Harrods’ latest responsibility pages and annual report for the newest information before relying on any single label or sourcing claim.
* Disclaimer: We use publicly available information, licensed data, information generated by artificial intelligence tools and information obtained directly from brands in order to determine our Sustainability Ratings. We recognise that you will be consulting various sources in order to do your due diligence and/or to inform your buying decisions, which may include considering our Sustainability Ratings. Please note that our Sustainability Ratings are for general information only and you must not use any part of the content on our site (including the Sustainability Ratings) for commercial or business purposes without first obtaining a licence to do so from us or our licensors. The Sustainability Ratings are not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our site, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees that the content on our site or the Sustainability Ratings are accurate, complete or up to date. We therefore disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such content by any visitor to our site, or by anyone who may be informed of any of its contents. Please refer to our Terms of Service or contact us at if you have any questions.
Explore more comprehensive reports and see how sustainable brands are with our factual, intelligent qZERO Sustainability Score system —designed for conscious shoppers who care about making a difference.
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic and personalize content. By using this site or clicking I agree, you consent to our use of cookies. You can read our Cookie Policy.
