To celebrate the opening of the world’s biggest Primark in Birmingham, basically on my door-step, I thought I’d put in writing why I love the budget fashion brand
Dear Primark,
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
First, let’s talk about price. I’m wearing a lovely pair of pointed mahogany red shoes that I purchased from Primark…for £3!
My story is not unique! All over the country people are delighting others with tales of items they bought at Primark for ludicrously low prices.
How Primark achieve such costs is a constant question. To discover the answer, let me ask you a question. When did you last watch an ad for Primark on TV? Never? That’s right! Primark don’t advertise on TV and they hardly spend anything on other types of advertising either. This, combined with buying in bulk, efficient transport of goods and simple packaging, allows them to make huge savings which they pass down to consumers.
In addition to being bank-account-friendly I’ve also always found Primark’s clothing, accessories and shoes to be good combination of quality basics and fashion pieces. Critics will claim they’ve bought items which have somehow unravelled after the first wash. This has never been the case for me. I own things from Primark that I have worn and washed hundreds of times that are still going strong.
Paul Lister, Primark’s head of ethical trade and environmental sustainability agrees with me, “We are proud of the quality and durability of our garments. They are not bought to throw away.”
It’s not just the amazingly priced fashionable clothes, shoes, make-up, jewellery and bags that will have me queuing on the official opening day, apparently the new store will feature a beauty studio, a barber shop and three dining experiences.
Primark aren’t alone in offering in-store experiences; Waterstones have added coffee shops to their bookshops, Superdrug offer in-store walk-in beauty treatments, Topshop have partnered with Bad Apple in Birmingham to provide a hair-salon and Selfridges have a Champagne bar!
A Primark spokesperson said, “This is a unique store…and we want to ensure that we have the best possible in-store experience for our customers.”
By embracing the move towards more immersive retail experiences Primark shows us that it is willing to adapt and change to survive – a commendable trait in any company.
As a large retailer Primark consider their impact on the planet and their Environmental Sustainability team cover things such as the sourcing of raw materials, the efficiency of Primark stores and a commitment to recycling.
Long before the ‘war on plastic,’ Primark provided consumers with the iconic brown paper bag for their shopping. This means that I can carry my purchases neatly packaged in a shopping bag, instead of stuffing a brand-new dress in my hand-bag, and not worry about my effect on the environment with single-use plastic.
I also like queuing at Primark. Yes, you read that correctly.
There are always queues at Primark but they tend to move quickly – with five or six people serving – so you’re never waiting that long. This is in comparison with other stores – where only two might be waiting but there’s only one person serving – so the queue is short but the wait is long.
Also, perhaps because I’m not paying that much for any one item my expectations for customer service, encompassing queue length, is not high so I’m always pleasantly surprised. If I’m paying £50 for a jumper, I’m expecting a Love Actually / Rowan Atkinson type experience where the item I’m purchasing is in a bag scented with rosemary and dipped in chocolate. Perhaps this is just me though?
Will I be queuing to grab some bargains on the official opening day of the new Birmingham store? You bet!
Thank you Primark! Best of luck with the new store.
Love Sarah x
Posted: 11/04/2019