For those of you not in the know, Primark is a department store chain that specialises in clothing for men, women and children/babies. They also include a home section and ladies laungerie ect
Primark specialise in low prices. Please note that when I say low, what I really mean is INCREDIBLY LOW. A ladies fashion belt for £2, a pair of mens fashion jeans for £8.you're getting the idea. There are advantages and several disadvantages but be well aware from the start that Primark is not about high price and top notch quality. It is about slightly low but still reasonable quality for a very very low price.So what is Primark like as a store then? (I hear you ask). Well as aforementioned, Primark sell at low prices and therefore sell in bulk. The quality of their stock is by no means anywhere near the best on the high street. However, it's not always all about quality it's also about value and value is quality compared to price. This is where Primark swim into the lead. Their quality, while not being the best is still reasonable but their prices are simply unbeatable. Nowhere else could you find cheaper socks, jeans, t-shirts, belts, pillows, brasand so it goes on. To give you an idea, I bought a big,thick winter coat and a thick winter top from Primark which formed a nice, slightly smart winter outfit for £16 (£8 per item). Now that's good. The coat has a seam down the side which indicates lesser quality but the point is, they look good and they last long enough to cover the price paid for the items.
BHS, on the other hand were selling a very similar jumper, only a bit better quality but for the princely sum of £15. Marks and Spencer did the same deal for £17. This is just on the jumper,and not on the jumper AND coat together. This is where Primark come into their own you see because you don't need to shop around for the right price because you know instantly that Primark is the best in the street.When it comes to fashion, Primark aren't half bad. If you were 16 then you wouldn't necessarily boast to your friends that half of your wardrobe comes from the cheap as chips, Primark chain store but then you wouldn't cringe at their more trendy offerings either. Many lines that they produce are very similar to lines that can be found in fashion stores such as New Look and Top Shop/Top Man. Sure the quality hasn't quite caught up and they don't look quite the same but it's not far off by any means and remember that the prices still,better than everywhere else.
As a young female of 15 years, I would say 1 in 8 or so items I buy come from Primark. It's usually just t-shirts and acessories but I did touch on an outfit previously a really,REALLY good find. If you're on a very strict budget and want to look pretty cool then Primark won't upset you you'll find some good stuff to strut about in and there are always a few gems to be snapped up.
So does its great value make Primark a great store? Well to be perfectly frank, no it doesn't. True enough, Primark have the value nailed but there are more concerning issues at stake. Primark sell in bulk in order to make their money. That means they sell to a large amount of people and their stores are usually heaving with people. If you make a trip on a saturday or sunday then you can expect to pace around the sotre merely stepping over people on the floors,and budging past big crowds. This is more then off-putting to a potential buyer. You see a rack of what might be decent gear and it's smothered in customers, like wasps swarming around a dropped ice cream on a hot day. When you reach the rack itself, half of the stock is on the floor, half of it is dirty due to being on the floor and all the hangers are mixed up.
This highlights the first gripe. Primark stores are on the whole very messy. On a weekend day it is not uncommon to see customers rummaging through stock while its on the floor, digging through to find their size.
Time for grip number two. In our Primark at least (Hull's branch), there is large force of staff on a weekend day, at least 40 strong. While a few of them swan around by the tills, a few members stand about chatting to each other as if they're in a quiet pub around lunch time while around them is total carnage and mountains of clothes on the floor and off hangers. I'm not judging all Primark staff under this ruling but this is the experience in my local store.
Also noticable is the problems with the fitting rooms. The fitting rooms. Over crowded, messy, hot and off putting. On a weekday, you'd probably be fine but for the most part, their fitting rooms boast a long queue, a half asleep attendant and a climate hotter then the sahara at midday. Needless to say, I do not try things on in their store. Fortunately, you can always return goods if need be. The last thing to note is that Primark don't tend to have sales. Most of what they sell is already as low as they will sell it which is a good thing because everyone gets a low price but don't wait for read more
