My photos from the Harrods Summer Sale launch 2011!

Gemma Arterton was the mystery guest today to kick off the Harrods big sale of the summer! I made my way down there quite early in the morning and felt rather relieved that it was not pouring down with rain, like it had during the previous two days in London. As expected, there were queues around the building by the time I had got there, even if I did make it there quite early. A large majority of the shoppers were hoping to secure handbags. There were lots of bargains to be had.

One very pleasant bit of surprise was Mr Al-Fayed making an appearance. I did not think we would see him again after selling Harrods to the current owners.

Here are my photos. One of the queues, when I got there:

A friendly, playful woman posed to smile when she saw me shoot this photo:

One of several Harrods employees, who gave out free tea to the shoppers waiting in line:

A man cleaning the red carpet before the VIP guest arrived:

When Gemma appeared, she was wearing a sparkly black and silver dress by Balmain along with black peep-toe boots:

Confetti on the red carpet when Gemma launched the sale and went in the building:

What it was like inside the store (mad busy):

Even the food halls were very busy; some areas had queues but the waiting time was not long.

Majority of the designer handbags were available on half-price – the Gucci section was very much a battle ground with women fiercely competing get hold of the products they wanted. The Mulberry section was intense even though they were offering 30% off rather than 50%. I saw one female shopper pick up and buy 5 Mulberry handbags – yes you read that right. FIVE. I couldn’t help but grin. Would love to visit her home and see what her wardrobe looks like. I imagine she must have quite an amazing collection of clothes, shoes and bags! Upstairs in the women’s shoe department, it was quite congested as designer shoes were selling far below their usual retail prices. I saw a Jimmy Choo pair for less than £250.

The men’s sections were relatively quiet to begin with but gathered pace after 30 minutes. I spotted a really nice Gucci messenger bag I wanted but sadly it was reserved for a customer, and happened to be the last one left. I was told that I had missed out by just 5 minutes! The shoe section was full of male shoppers. Men want pretty shoes too, not just ladies. Plenty of designer sunglasses were half-price.

Another area where bargains could be found is perfumery – where majority of the fragrances were selling for half-price too, and they were not just EDT bottles but box sets! Hugo Boss, Gucci, YSL, CK, Jean Paul Gaultier, Ralph Lauren and many more were so cheap! Here, it was truly jam-packed with plenty of people carrying two baskets, stacked with multiple boxes of fragrances. Get yourself down there soon if you are able to go.