The Quietest Department Store Of All Time

Selfridges is undertaking a "No Noise" campaign complete with mass meditations, silent performances, and, of course, product tie-ins.

Selfridges Department Store in London has just launched the "No Noise" initiative.

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In collaboration with Headspace, a company that bills itself as "the world's first gym membership for the mind," the department store will host mass meditations, provide individual "pods" for guided meditations, and present a series of contemplative talks called "Idle Sundays." The idea is to tune out all the noise of the modern world and focus inward.

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Five hundred people gathered for a meditation led by Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Selfridges Creative Director Alannah Weston at the January 10th launch.

There's a "Silence Room" where shoppers can sit in peace.

Stuart Wilson for Selfridges / Getty Images

When Harry Gordon Selfridge first opened the store back in 1909, there was a room where shoppers could "retire from the whirl of bargains and the build up of energy." The store is resurrecting the space to fit the era of smartphones and Black Friday campouts.

In February, there will be a performance of John Cage's 4'33.

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Which is a completely silent composition.

Of course, there's also a retail component.

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Selfridges has launched The Quiet Shop as part of No Noise, which celebrates minimalist design and a highly-curated selection of recognizable but de-branded items.