Former high-ranking Harrods official, Nigel Blow, has reversed his decision to head up department store Fenwick, a few weeks before his scheduled start. He has previously functioned as Arnotts’ chairperson and Brown Thomas’s managing director. From 1992 to 2007, Blow held positions at Harrods during the period it was under the ownership of Mohamed Al Fayed.
Late Mohamed Al Fayed, the one-time Harrods proprietor and Fulham FC owner who passed away aged 94 last year, is currently implicated in several sexual assaults following a disclosure by the BBC last month. His accusations comprise five charges of rape and many more for sexual molestation.
A Fenwick representative said, “In July 2024, we announced we would name Nigel Blow as Fenwick’s CEO. Nigel Blow has since notified us that he will no longer be assuming this role.” No explanation was provided by the department store for this decision.
The retail chain Fenwick has been in operation for 140 years, originating from Newcastle. At present, it has eight stores situated throughout the UK.
In 1992, Blow began his tenure at Harrods, subsequently ascending to chief merchant of the store and earning a spot on the board in 2003. Brown Thomas, an Irish retailer, was his next venture after leaving Harrods in 2007. However, he later rejoined another Fayed-owned business – shirt manufacturer Turnbull & Asser.
In 2017, he took his leave and was subsequently appointed Morleys department stores’ chief executive. His resignation follows fresh after lawyers representing Al Fayed’s alleged victims stated the client base had expanded to over 70.
The advocacy group, Justice For Harrods Survivors, has said that the rate of women “feeling safe to come forward” continues to grow daily. This was followed by confirmation from the Metropolitan Police in September of an ongoing investigation into numerous fresh allegations against Al Fayed, in addition to earlier claims.
The department will be thoroughly reviewing all current allegations related to incidents reported to have happened between 1979 and 2013 to establish if there are “new leads based on recently surfaced information”. Currently, Nigel Blow could not be contacted for his comments. – PA.