Primark are high street clothing retailers offering low prices but is the quality also low?

Primark have about 100 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland (where they operate as Penneys). They claim to be targeting the under 35 ‘fashion conscious’ market but, as we will see the appeal is rather wider than that. Virtually all of their stock is own brand. Primark have quite a wide range of labels and, generally speaking, if you’ve never heard of it before it’s a Primark label. There are a small number of branded goods sold but these aren’t such bargains as their own-label stock.

I have visited a number of stores and base my remarks on what I have observed with additional input from my wife where necessary.

Womenswear
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This is the largest department in the stores. The ranges cover the everyday essentials like jeans and tee shirts, fashion items and a smaller selection of coats and jackets. The basic items are very cheap but of remarkably good quality. Jeans, for example, are under £10 a pair and available in a number of styles and colours. Sadly, the fashion items, while also being cheap, aren’t of such good quality. The design is often rather tacky while the materials and standards of construction also leave something to be desired. The more major items, such as coats and jackets, are generally of good quality but the design seems a bit dated for the stores’ stated market. The majority of shoppers in this area seem to be middle-aged and elderly rather than under 35.

Lingerie
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This is an area were I am bound to bow to my wife’s judgement. The lingerie is very well priced and, I am told, of good quality both in material and design. A basic pair of panties will only cost you £1 – not to be sniffed at (oops, unintended double-entendre there!). Most of these ranges are offered under the ‘Secret Possessions’ label, yet another of the Primark own-brands.

Hosiery
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A good choice of tights and stockings. The basic items are supplemented by specials such as high sheen or textured finish tights. Prices are the lowest on the high street and the quality is as good as anywhere.

Footwear
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This is probably the poorest section. A limited range of moderately priced shoes and slippers is offered but the quality is rather low. In this area Primark can’t really compete with the specialist discount shoe outlets (of which there seem to be a growing number). The shoes tend to be very shoddy and of poor materials – not a lot of leather in evidence here!

Childrenswear
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There is a wide choice for all ages from birth up. This is usually the second largest area in the stores (although not having measured I’m prepared to be corrected). Prices are again good and the clothes are well made from good strong materials that appear to survive the inevitable frequent washes without too many ill effects. As well as the basic items there are quite a few ‘fun’ fashionable kiddies’ items that still manage to be serviceable clothing.

Menswear
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The emphasis in menswear is on the everyday essentials rather than fashion. Jeans are around £8 for a basic but very robust pair. Ideal for everyday wear if you aren’t worried about showing the right labels. Shirts are good value and of perfectly acceptable quality for the office worker. A straightforward white cotton-rich shirt comes in at £6 (if you want to see one in use have a look at my photo here on Ciao – that’s a Primark shirt). Socks are another example of the value here, 3 pairs of cotton rich are a mere £2.

Accessories
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Or odds and ends. Handbags, hair fixings and all the other bits that don’t belong in the other categories come into this paragraph. Many of these are specials, so if you want that handbag its probably safest to buy it when you see it. If it goes out of stock it may well not return. The general impression of these items is of very variable quality – they appear to be lines bought in because they were available at the right price rather than forming part of a coherent range.

Household Textiles
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Some stores apparently stock household textiles – sheets, towels etc. None of the stores I have visited have so I can’t comment on this. If I find a store that does offer these ranges I’ll revise this later.

Appearance
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The stores often appear rather cluttered as if the management is most concerned with getting as much stock on the floor as possible. The clothes are displayed either hanging on racks or on display islands where they are flat on shelves. The shelving units often appear to have been hit by high winds! I don’t know if the low prices are driving the shoppers into some sort of feeding frenzy but they certainly don’t seem to be treating the stock with much care. It is a constant battle by the assistants to refold and stack the stock before it is screwed up and thrown on the floor by the customers. If you are fortunate enough to visit a store early in the morning you will see that the clothes are stacked by size on each unit, if you visit later in the day you will see mainly heaps of clothing.

Service and Facilities
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There are adequate changing rooms to try on clothes. As is usual nowadays you are issued with a tag to indicate how many clothes you are taking in. The limit (I think) is five items. The changing rooms seem to be kept tidy and clean and the desk always seems to be manned.

The customer service desk is usually well signposted although it is normally situated to the rear of the stores. Items will be exchanged without question if you are unhappy with the fit or just don’t like it. They will offer a refund if you have the receipt – without a receipt it is at their discretion. This doesn’t, of course, affect your statutory rights to a refund for damaged goods (the Sale of Goods Act requires retailers to give a refund if the goods are not of ‘merchantable quality’ or ‘unfit for the purpose intended’). You have no right to demand a refund if you have just changed your mind – this is a service offered by retailers in the interests of good will.

The checkouts are often swamped at peak times. Although some stores may have ten or more checkouts queues can sometimes run to 10 minutes. The advice, as always, is to try to avoid shopping at weekends. Unfortunately, for most working people this is not particularly helpful advice.

Staff
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To try to be fair to the staff, they are driven fairly hard. These stores tend to be very busy and restacking shelves after the ravages of frenzied customers must be dispiriting. Nevertheless I have found that the staff are generally poor with the exception of service desk staff who I have found to be cheerful and helpful. Floor staff are pretty much unfailingly glum, unwilling to assist customers in locating stock and generally unhelpful.

The checkout operators seem to be equally unhappy with their lot and are further handicapped by an excessively stringent control (perhaps more accurately described as lack of trust) which means they are often required to call for supervisors.

On the whole, not a good result on the staffing front. Most of the staff seem to be young and part-time and there appears to be a high turnover of staff. This means that many are inexperienced which further adds to the stress. However, in these days of national minimum wage, there is now little difference in pay for shop floor staff so the differences in standards must be attributed to poor management, training and motivation.

Overall
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For fashion items you may find them either too tacky or too old-fashioned for your taste. While it’s worth a look, because good items are sometimes found, on the whole it’s rather uninspiring. For everyday items Primark offer very good value and quality. For underwear and lingerie their prices and quality make them second to none on the high street. If you are not driven by the need to display designer labels this store is highly recommended by this reviewer (and his wife).

To find your nearest store see: www.primark.co.uk