In 1849, Henry Charles Harrod founded and opened Harrods department store in Knightsbridge. Harrods has been a staple in Knightbridge ever since this time. It has played a very large role in the affluent environment and society that is still present in Knightsbridge today. Harrods department store started as a one room grocery store in Knightsbridge, and by the 1880s it had expanded into clothing, perfume, food, and medicine. It has now turned into a seven-story luxury department store with over 300 departments where the wealthiest people throughout London and surrounding areas shop. In 1883, Harrods was the scene of a devastating fire which burnt the entire building to the ground. However, Harrods came back bigger and better than ever with a very large expansion encapsulating over one million square feet, allowing it to expand into more departments and cater to larger groups of people. Over the course of the last 200 years, Harrods has changed ownership multiple times, with the most recent owner being the state of Qatar. Throughout the years, Harrods has faced many ups and downs, its existence has played a very prevalent and major role in the history of the Knightsbridge area in London.