getting close to being red now! red is my favourite colour! Come on guys!
getting close to being red now! red is my favourite colour! Come on guys!
Member since:09.07.2007
Reviews:98
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So, once a symbol of all that was cheap and tatty, now seemingly the place to go for fashionable bargains? I am told that it is a veritable aladdins cave of cheap and cheerful gems that allow you to look good for less. How could you resist these claims? everyone wants a bargain, dont they?
But, even though the cost to you is low, what is the cost to others?
Bottom line is, that this is a review of primark the shop, not primark the company. But even so, i think i need to touch briefly on the revelations in the local press. Primark worked under the statement "it is possible to produce a t-shirt for £2, without comprimising the companies ethics". However it could so easily have read, " it is possible to produce a t-shirt for £2, by removing the civil and ethical rights of underprivilaged people from the developing world, and rake in a profit at the same time".
I am not going to rant on, and on about this fact, but i think that everyone considering making a educated descision to purchase from primark, or not, has to be aware that they have used sweat shop workers to create these bargains. Little kids are paid 60p (on a good day.), to stitch tiny sequins on to your top, by candlelight. Little kids of 9 years of age(in the worst case.). And one of the terms to have developed around primark, really gets me angry. Disposable fashion.
These kids are getting tortured, to create fashion that we are willing to wear once, and then throw away, because they are so cheap!!! Outrageous, and as one with kids myself, it brings a tear to my eye to think of it. Please bear this in mind as you read the rest of the review.Ok, rant over!!!!!Primark, or Penneys as it is known in Ireland, is a chain of value clothes retailers, which currently has 177 branches across th UK, Ireland, and Spain. When they first emerged, they were initially greeted with poor he consumer of the day, was more affluent than they are today (thanks, Mr Brown!!) and were used to a good standard of product. When they saw Primark, it was seen as a very low class outlet, frequented by the lower class. Gradually, they worked their way into the market. Their quality improved, and also the consumer found themselves with less and less of a disposable income. The result of this is that in todays market, Primark are one of the most popular clothes retailers out there, and are definitely the top value clothes retailer.
So, is all the hype justified. My experience.
The stores.
I have been in several of the outlets near me, and in my opinion, they generally look like a rubbish tip. Clothes are rather poorly displayed, often tipped in a big pile, for people to dive in and find that hidden gem. A very well hidden gem, might i add!! The shops are usually quite large, with a large circular walkway going around the store. Generally, the store is split into sections (though there is very little signage to tell you this.), menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, household, shoes and lingerie. It is noticable that the menswear department of all the stores that i have been in, is tiny in comparison to the womens wear.
The staff
In general, i have had no problems with any of the staff in primark. The only thing that i would say is that they constantly look under pressure, and flustered. That said, they have never allowed this to spill over into frustration with the customer, which is a credit to them, because the customers in these stores would remind you of a stampede!!!
The ambience
Well, there is no real feel good factor, and often, i am just glad to get out. Crazy people, pushing eachother out of the way to get at clothes. You get what you pay for.
The price
Admittedly, they cannot be beaten on price. For reasons mentioned earlier, I personally cannot allow this win me over, but for those on a budget it will certainly save you a pound or two. Also, when they have a sale, they really have a sale. You can get basic clothing here for 50p!!
The clothes
This is the main bit, and potentially i could write on for ages, but i will try to keep it short and sweet.
From a distance, the clothes look great. At first you will think that you are in for a real treat. Bright colours, fashionable cuts, all the right trends of the season. Great. But as they say, the details in the retail. Look closer, and you will be a lot more wary of the clothing. It is my opinion, that the lothes are poorly finished. Take a look at the lining. Often it is coming away, and the stitching will be coming loose. This is easily seen by the amount of loose threads you find on primark clothes. Also a lot of items will be different. By this i mean that you will find several different versions of the same item. Some will be faded, some will be dirty, some will be perfect, and some will be pulled. Some of the clothes, are nice glittery, or sequined little numbers. In my experience, these will come off with the first wash. Not only will this ruin your top, but eventually, your washing machine. Clothes also have wierd sizings. Although i am a certain size in almost all other shops, i have to buy a size smaller in primark. sometimes, as well, i have bought two pairs of jeans, in the same size, and they have fitted completely differently. The hand bags are great though!!!
conclusion
You may have guessed from the style of my review, that i am not a fan. Poor quality clothes that will look good as long as you dont wash them. Unethical, mass produced items that must have very low standards of quality control. Can be ok for essentials, like socks and knickers, but really not for me. not recommended. G
p.s. anything with silver on it will not stay silver long.
p.p.s. shoes are crap!!!
p.p.p.s i have published this elsewhere on the net
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Jul 25th, 2008
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