This is my first review in an exceptionally long time, so if it looks like I don't know what I'm doing - it's because I don't! :p
'Oh Primark, how I love you! You know how much I do... I'm in there every week and more, just buying everything in store. And now my wardrobe's full of stuff, But passing by you is so tough. Oh Primark how I love you! And you know it's really true...'
Considering the company started as a small fashion chain called Penney's in Ireland in 1969, Primark has come a hell of a long way. Starting with just a handful of stores in Dublin in it's birth year, it now has almost 200 stores across the world, covering the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany - no doubt, it will only get bigger and better too.
Their main goals are to promote ethical trading, support to the environment, and support for both wider and local communities. One recent development in
their business is that they have now started producing paper carrier bags instead of plastic, in keeping with Packaging Waste Regulations; this is excellent news considering how many millions of these bags they are using each day, and is a definite step towards helping create a healthier environment.
One of the main features of Primark is its ability to produce good quality clothes which are constantly at the height of fashion, at extremely low consumer prices - on average you can get fantastic T-shirts for £2.50 and trousers for about £8! But how can they afford to sell items at such a low cost to us? According to their website, it's all about using word-of-mouth to promote their stores rather than TV or radio advertising, for example, which would be a ton more expensive. And considering how much I rave to my friends and family about how my rather-real-looking-leather- biker-jacket-that-is-actually-synthetic only cost £17, along with, well, pretty much everything else in my wardrobe, sometimes I feel I'm dong a large proportion of the advertising on my own! Just think how much advertising they're really getting if everyone is doing this (which I've no doubt they are!)
It's true that the quality may not be quite as good as if you bought, say, a £1000 real leather jacket, but in my experience (and I will add that I do have a LOT of it!) pretty much all the garments and accessories bought do last a substantially good time, particularly considering the price of them. And even if it doesn't - does it really matter if you have to throw a top away after a month if you only spent a pound on it?!
The only true downside to Primark is the layout - because they have so much to offer, although it may be pristinely laid out when the doors open at 9am, you can guarantee by lunchtime most of it will be strewn across the four corners of the shop floor and you'll be searching for those lacy knickers you really really want in menswear...I have to say, I'm not one to be lazy about putting things back from where they came from, but that's purely because I work in retail myself so I know what it's like!
On the whole, I think they are one of the best (if not THE best!) high street fashion stores around and I really think that they can only get stronger and stronger, particularly in this economic climate where people can't afford proper designer brands and a simple T-shirt to cost £20 or more. They had some bad press on the TV last year about ethical trading, but I hope that by now they've taken on board the accusations thrown at them and done their best to turn things around where needed. At the end of the day, if you're going to shun Primark for these allegations, you might as well walk away from every other store on the high street, because I'm sure that the same questions are flying hard behind their closed doors too - we just don't hear about it!
In short let's not forget that Primark have won many awards, including Retailer of the Year 2009, and I'm sure the winning will just keep on going - after all, you try walking inside without picking up a bundle of stuff before you leave - bet you can't do it! So altogether now, ...'Oh Primark, how I love you....'
For more information visit: www.primark.co.uk
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May 28th, 2009
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