With some of the lowest prices in the competitive segment of fast fashion, Primark is the go-to for many European and American East Coasters who are hunting for trendy pieces at a low cost.
Here are 25 facts to answer all of your questions about Primark!
Primark is a low-priced retailer carrying a wide range of product selection including homeware, women’s and men’s clothing, children’s, beauty, accessories, and more.
The retailer is considered a fast-fashion brand, with competitors such as H&M and Zara.
Primark has stood out among competitors by consistently offering drastically lower priced items.
The first Primark store opened its doors in Dublin in 1969.
The retailer was first opened using the name Penney’s, but had to re-brand to Primark after expanding outside of Ireland. This was due to the American retailer JC Penney which had the name Penney’s already registered in the United Kingdom.
Primark is now found in eleven countries throughout Europe and North America.
Their largest store, covering five floors and 161,000 sq. ft., operates in Birmingham, England.
Throughout Ireland, the retailer is branded under its original name of “Penney’s.”
Primark also retails using concession models operating out of three Selfridge locations throughout England.
Interestingly enough, this popular retailer is owned by Associated British Foods.
The founder of Primark, Arthur Ryan, is still a chairman for the company.
When the Primark flagship location opened on London’s Oxford Street, over a million products were sold within just the first 10 days.
Prices are kept lower than their competitors by minimal advertising and packaging by the brand.
Primark donates their unsold clothing throughout their European stores to the Newlife charity.
To lower environment impact, they have created an Energy Reduction Group, and use their product delivery trucks to collect recyclable items from stores back to distribution centers to be recycled.
Primark first expanded outside the European market in 2015 with a store opening in Boston, Massachusetts.
Several controversies have been raised over their ethical manufacturing, most notably being the retailer’s involvement in the 2013 Rana Plaza tragedy. Primark manufactured in the factory that collapsed and killed 1,134 people in Bangladesh. Nonetheless, they have positively been noted as one of the first companies to pay out compensation to victims and their families while many other companies involved in the collapse delayed their payouts.
They are moving toward using all sustainably grown cotton and fund the CottonConnect program which helps female cotton farmers learn how to sustainably produce cotton.
Cotton is Primark’s most-used fiber in their garments.
Primark does not sell their products online. The company did a trial run selling online through ASOS but ended the partnership and did not continue sales through e-commerce due to shipping prices often exceeding the product’s retail price.
Even without selling through e-commerce Primark still has a website showcasing its products and utilizes social media, with its Instagram bringing in over 5 million followers.
In early 2018, Primark holds a 6.9% share in the clothing market of the U.K.
Though the brand’s origins are in Ireland, the U.K. currently operates the most Primark stores at 174 locations.
98% Of the company’s manufacturers also produce products for other companies.
Primark’s beauty brand PS has been praised by beauty influencers, including Huda Kattan who said to her 24 million Instagram followers that it was the “best thing she has discovered this year.”
