AT Europe: London - Peter Jones Department Store

You can learn a lot about a culture, or reinforce your pre-conceived ideas, by visiting a mainstream department store like Peter Jones on Sloane Square...

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Peter Jones is a reassuring place, a source for classic window shutters and made-to-measure curtains, down duvets, throw pillows in every color.

And because this is a British department store, the comforts of home include a large selection of hot water bottles with tartan or white cotton covers, electric tea pots and toasters in every style, plus a large selection of picnicware and handsome picnic hampers for that great outdoor tradition in the green and pleasant land that is England.

- Kristin Hohenadel blogging from rue Vieille du Temple, Paris, France. She can be reached at kristinh @ apartmenttherapy . com

Comments (9)

Oh, but don't think all British shops are as wonderful as Peter Jones and other John Lewis stores, oh no! It has a special place in the hearts of the middle classes: never trendy, sometimes stuffy, with a certain bohemian eccentricity mixed in with its solid bourgeois values, and lots of good quality schmata, it gives us the feeling all is right with the world.

posted by Laurel on September 5th 2007 at 12:36pm
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I think you should be a marketing exec for the company, Laurel. What a wonderful description! Makes me want to fly halfway around the world to achieve the feeling that all is right with it.

posted by kellylc on September 5th 2007 at 1:24pm
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WHAT?

posted by cassandra158 on September 6th 2007 at 3:53am
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i'm not so sure this is complimentary - don't you think this is meant to point out how absurd it is that they (we) have 71 toasters or teapots, or dinner plates, etc to choose from... a sad comentary maybe?

posted by grunion on September 6th 2007 at 4:58am
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i THINK IT IS A reflection of the fact the english remedy for all ills is a cup of tea and buttered toast... and their touching belief that the weather tomorrow will be nice enough to go on a picnic! Terribly sweet and almost edwardian... reassuring in these times of chavs and teen pregnancies and jihadi doctors.

posted by Sofia on September 6th 2007 at 5:49am
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I could never put it better than Laurel has! Spot on.
(Sofia... not so much...)

posted by Lesley - London on September 6th 2007 at 11:46am
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Peter Jones is part of the John Lewis group of stores - they can be found all over the UK - they are great for finding things you can't get elsewhere and their quality is top notch - but their prices are also top notch - do NOT expect to get a bargain there

I can recommend their bed linen and pillow inserts - every shape and size of cushion pad you could ever want

posted by Violetsrose on September 10th 2007 at 3:11am
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@Violetsrose - on the other hand "Never knowingly undersold" (John Lewis' motto for those in US) is (as I'm sure you concur) a true claim. You will not pay more anywhere else for something sold there - otherwise they will recompense above and beyond.

Curry's and Dixon's get away with a lot of crap selling to people who *have* to buy the cheapest option - when they could buy for the same price or less in John Lewis (or Peter Jones) and be treated well.

(I have no connection with the stores, this is not intentionally an advertisement...)

posted by Lesley - London on September 12th 2007 at 1:34pm
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"You will not pay more anywhere else for something sold there - otherwise they will recompense above and beyond."

Hang on - that means they are the most expensive store on the planet!!

posted by Violetsrose on September 25th 2007 at 3:06am
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