Primark (Shop)

...working a part-time job in Primark . I worked there for over four years and was trained in customer service, cash registers, stock room and sales floor, so I reckon I can pretty much tell you anything you need to know about Primark Stores Ltd! By the way, I’m based in Northern Ireland, so some of the things I say may not be applicable in the English stores, but hopefully most will still be correct.

So I’ll begin with a little background ...
...to what the website says- Primark caters for everyone. " Uptown Clothes Downright Prices " is their slogan, and it is very true indeed. Primark sells its clothes at a price you really won’t find anywhere else.

The departments catered for are Ladieswear, Lingerie, Childrenswear, Menswear, Footwear, Accessories, Hosiery and Household. I’ll go through these one by one. Firstly, the largest department, and their ‘cash-cow,’ so ... more

When I was a student, I supported myself by working a part-time job in Primark . I worked there for over four years and was trained in customer service, cash registers, stock room and sales floor, so I reckon I can pretty much tell you anything you need to know about Primark Stores Ltd! By the way, I’m based in Northern Ireland, so some of the things I say may not be applicable in the English stores, but hopefully most will still be correct.

So I’ll begin with a little background information. Primark (also trading as Penney’s in the Republic of Ireland) are a low-cost drapery store with over 115 stores throughout the UK, and one opening in Madrid shortly. They target the ‘fashion conscious under 35s’ as it says on their website, but in my experience their actual market is much wider than this. Older ladies also come in and make great use of the underwear department, and many older men purchase their shirts/ jeans/ socks on a regular basis, so don’t listen too much to what the website says- Primark caters for everyone. " Uptown Clothes Downright Prices " is their slogan, and it is very true indeed. Primark sells its clothes at a price you really won’t find anywhere else.

The departments catered for are Ladieswear, Lingerie, Childrenswear, Menswear, Footwear, Accessories, Hosiery and Household. I’ll go through these one by one. Firstly, the largest department, and their ‘cash-cow,’ so to speak, is ladieswear.

Ladieswear
*********

The clothes in the ladies department, made by ‘Atmosphere’ begin at size 8 and in general reach a size 18, but you do find some ranges only go up to a size 16, which can be disappointing for many women . (Believe me… I’ve heard all the complaints!) And at the other extreme, not every item comes in a size 8, so it can be difficult to keep everyone happy. However, in the bigger stores, and in the ROI stores there is a larger range of clothing targeted at the women over size 18. It can be the ‘Prima’ or the ‘atmosphere plus’ range, and says so on the label. Denim Company make the jeans for Primark and these are of increasingly good quality. You can find a very trendy pair of jeans in the region of £10-£12 which would cost over £40 in stores such as River Island.

I have seen thousands of items come and go through the years I’ve worked there, and I can fully admit that the recent quality of Primark clothing has been very high indeed. A few years ago, a Primark top would have only lasted one wash before it went totally shapeless, but that is not true of the new lines. Apparently Primark have employed new ‘buyers’ and this is why the clothes have become much more fashionable. Also, as a note, we used to notice that the first delivery of an item was of better quality than other batches that followed it. Usually they seemed thicker, and of better quality. Maybe that’s an urban legend, but I’d still recommend buying from the first batch! Of course you are only paying £6-£10 for a pair of dress trousers, so you don’t really expect them to last very long anyway.

Prices you can expect to pay in the ladieswear department are:
Basic Trouser (Black/ Navy/ Brown) £6
Basic Vest Top (White/ Black/ Pink/ Purple/ Lemon/ Mint) £2
Basic Knitwear (many styles) £6-£8
Basic Denim (many different washes) £8- £12

Then there is the formal wear section:
Formal Tops (the ones you could wear out) £4- £8
Formal Trouser (many styles) £8- £12
Trendy Denim (embellished, etc..) £12

There are some horrendous items gracing the rails at Primark. You know the type, the ones you lift and laugh at. Or the ones that you hold upside down to try and figure out exactly how one might actually wear it, these are great fun. And I have to admit we all used to have a giggle after these came through the register. You really would not believe what people buy! The hardest thing was when a customer would hold up a hideous item and genuinely say “Isn’t that lovely?” it’s very hard to stifle the giggles when that happens. Generally you swallow hard and say “Yeah, those are selling so well today!” and hope that she doesn’t realise that you just told a whopper. It’s too difficult to tell the truth in that situation, as you don’t want to hurt their feelings.

Lingerie
******

The underwear department in Primark consists of Pyjamas, Dressing Gowns, Bras, Panties and other ‘Secret Possessions.” It is very reasonable, as a pair of PJs costs around £6 and you don’t really see that sort of pricing in other stores. However, I do think the pyjamas and briefs are worth buying, but I wouldn’t buy the bras. In my experience they don’t hold up to the wash, and go bumpy afterwards. On a positive note, they are very pretty, and very inexpensive. In Primark there are usually tables (very messy ones!) which hold the £1-£2 briefs and these are a great bargain as they are very similar to the
Topshop/ Miss Selfridge types, except Primark’s are £2 cheaper per pair. Prices for lingerie is as follows:

Short Pyjamas: £4
Long Pyjamas: £6
Night Shirts : £3
Dressing Gowns: £5-£9
Bras: £3- £5
Bra Sets: £5- £8
Packets of Briefs: £2.50
Single Briefs: £1- £2
Vest-Pants sets: £4

The winter lines generally bring in saucier underwear too. So watch out for suspender belts, kinky pants etc…!

Childrenswear
************
This was my department, and I loved it! But I didn’t really love the bratty children that pulled all my clothes from the rails all the time. I had to tell off quite a few children, as they were running around bumping into rails and other shoppers. If you happen to be in a store, and are getting annoyed by kids misbehaving then tell the security guard or a member of staff. Usually they will seek out the parents of the child. So back to the topic… the clothes.

Childrenswear is made of EarlyDays, the section of clothing for young babies up to 23 months. Our store does not keep clothes for babies under 6 months, which is odd, but it does stock babygros and vests for babies of this size. After babies wear, there are five other sections of children’s clothes.

Girls Aged 2-6/ Boys Aged 2-6
Jeans: £4-£6
T-Shirts: £2- £3.50
Knitwear: £4-£6
Jog Legs: £2.50
A different range of clothes is stocked for older kids, as they don’t generally like wearing the same clothes as their little brothers and sisters.

Girls Aged 7-14/ Boys Aged 7-14
Jeans: £6- £8
T-Shirts: around £3.50
Knitwear: £6+
Coats: £8- £12

Basics (All Ages) :
5 Pack Briefs: £2
5 Pack Socks: £2.50
Childrens 2 pack vests: £2
BabyGros 3 pack: £5
Baby Vest 3 pack: £3
Pyjamas: £3- £8

Menswear
********

Menswear, in my opinion is getting much better, much more trendy in Primark. The summer lines consisted of the type of Slogan T-Shirts that wouldn’t be out of place in Topshop, while the £4 basic denim jean is a constant seller. Men’s formal trousers retail at £10- £12, jeans at £4- £12 and T-Shirts at around £4. There are also a selection of tie and shirt sets available at the cost of £6, and some of the ties are even real silk, surprisingly!

Other than that, the men’s winter coats are usually great value at around £12. As are socks, boxers and vests coming in at around £5 for a pack. I was never a fan of the menswear department though… there were never enough men under 35 in shopping for my liking!

Footwear
*******

The bigger stores stock the best range of footwear, and the store I worked in did not usually have the greatest range. Sometimes we did get in quite trendy shoes, and we’d almost die of shock when we saw them! The staple selection will be numerous variations of flip-flops in the summer months at around £2 a pair, numerous variations of boots in winter months at around £15 a pair, and a few selections of trainers, court shoes and sandals.

Although the footwear is cheap, I find the soles are very thin, so you can feel every step you take. The only footwear I’ve bought from Primark has been flip-flops, as I really think your feet deserve better than a pair of plastic boots. But if funds are low and you need a new pair of shoes, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider Primark footwear.

Accessories and Hoisery
*******************

Primark’s handbags are usually imitation leather, and really are worth the £3/ £4 you might spend on them. I have numerous of their bags, and there is a lovely on in particular that only cost me £2.50. In accessories you can also find scarves, gloves, hats, sunglasses, purses depending on the stock/ season.
Primark socks are wicked. 5 pairs for £2. I couldn’t be without them, and then there are the very funky socks which have little cartoon characters and slogans. The tights are good if you wear tights. They come in a range of colours, and styles. There are even stockings.

Homewear
*********

Primark stock a good selection of cushions, throws and the duvets in particular are very good value. But my favourite part of this department is the lovely towels stocked. And they are such good value for money at £2 plus. However, one of the most popular items is the selection of bed-sets, with the duvet cover, pillow case etc.. These are so inexpensive when compared to other stores prices. And a must-have for all new students heading to university.

Anything else you should know?
***************************

I think I’ve covered the clothes, now I’d just like to warn people about what to expect a Primark store to be like. In general, the store will resemble a huge jumble sale. Even with 25 staff working the sales floor, there is no stopping people looking for bargains, so things invariably end up on the floor. (This is no fault of the staff!) You should also expect to queue, as Primark gets so busy, especially at the weekends. Although the general rule of thumb is that if there are more than four people in a queue, then another register should be opened. Managers are usually on-the-ball with this, so if you do feel there is no sign of the queue getting smaller, then you should seek out a manager.

Older stores are not particularly customer-friendly. Ours in particular is not wheelchair friendly, nor is it air-conditioned, and the fitting rooms are claustrophobic but this is also not the fault of the staff (so please don’t take it out on them… do something constructive, like write to head-office to complain!) If you can’t find the size you want in an item, it is worth asking an assistant to check downstairs. Usually there are gazillions of an item brought in, when the first delivery comes, although if the shelf is nearly empty then it is unlikely there will be anymore in stock.

Refunds and Exchanges are straightforward. You have 3 months to return an item (with full refund if you retain your receipt) and refunds are attainable in any other Primark store (and Penneys) However It is company policy not to return briefs unless they are damaged. Most payment methods (except Visa Electron and Am-Ex) are accepted.

Final Word
**********

I’m afraid I’ve gone on too much so I feel I’d better end this review, so I’d like to recommend Primark to everyone. Don’t expect designer clothes, but you will be pleasantly surprised by what you might find in your nearest Primark Store. There have been many times when people have complemented my clothes and have been shocked when I say…

“Oh, this old thing… I got it in Primark!”
 

...less