Harvey Nichols has taken its website offline as the historic luxury department chain prepares to change ownership for the first time in over three decades. A statement on the firm's website confirmed that online operations have been halted "whilst we complete a period of transition". All stores, including Edinburgh's flagship, will remain open as normal.
Orders and gift cards from before administration
The statement also said that any orders placed and gift cards purchased prior to its collapse into administration on August 13 fall under the former ownership structure. This means they cannot be processed by Harvey Nichols directly. Instead, customers are being urged to contact FTI Consulting directly. Meanwhile, any orders placed after August 13 will be processed under the business's standard refunds and returns policy.
The full Harvey Nichols statement read: "We are pleased to confirm that Harvey Nichols has entered an exciting new chapter with new ownership, supporting its future, under the Frasers Group.
"Harvey Nichols is currently unavailable online whilst we complete a period of transition. In the meantime, our stores remain open, and our teams are on hand to assist with anything you may need. Thank you for your continued support.
"Orders placed and Gift Cards purchased prior to August 13, 2026 fall under the ownership structure preceding this transition. Refunds relating to these orders cannot be processed by Harvey Nichols directly.
"Customers with an outstanding refund from this period are asked to contact, HNCustomers@fticonsulting.com. Orders placed from August 13, 2026 onwards will be processed under our standard refunds and returns policy."
New ownership under Frasers Group
Harvey Nichols is preparing to transfer to new ownership under Mike Ashley's Frasers Group. The owner of Sports Direct purchased it from previous owners Dickson Concepts, a Hong Kong-based firm that had owned the luxury name since 1991. The transaction includes the department chain's six stores in Knightsbridge, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Edinburgh. It has also secured the future of more than 1,000 workers, its online business and product inventory.
International franchise stores will also continue to trade as normal. However, the OXO restaurant launched by Harvey Nichols in 1996 at the OXO Tower building on London's South Bank was not included and has been acquired by another buyer.
Founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey, Harvey Nichols has become one of the most iconic names in British luxury retail. It has expanded to 13 locations worldwide, with stores also located in Kuwait, Qatar, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Restructuring and future plans
Following a period of "sustained trading and operational challenges", it was put up for sale earlier this year after suffering mounting losses for five consecutive years. FTI Consulting were then later appointed as administrators. Among the interested parties that were said to have made a bid include Next and Poundland owners the Gordon Brothers. However, Mike Ashley ultimately won out and will now integrate Harvey Nichols into the wider Frasers Group platform.
This will include a significant restructuring of the business, with the closure of the website being the first sign of customer disruption since the takeover that will also see it undergo reviews for the store portfolio, organisation structure, operating model and costs. Frasers Group's chief executive Michael Murray said the retailer was "an iconic British institution with significant potential", but that it was clear that "meaningful change was needed" if it wanted to have a more sustainable future.
