Primark Stores Limited is a chain of retail stores that sells clothes for budget-conscious buyers. The company is well known for marketing and selling fashionable clothes at competitive rates. “Look Good, Pay Less” is the company’s advertising slogan. Primark has its headquarters in the Republic of Ireland where it sells clothes under the brand name Penneys. It has over 160 stores in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain and employs more than 25,000 people. The company is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods or ABF, a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group that has had considerable success in the market.
In 1969, the first Penneys store was set up by Arthur Ryan and Micaela Mitchell in Dublin, Ireland. Primark’s buying and merchandising teams based in Reading and Dublin travel across the world to source and buy the latest fashion basics that best reflect each season's main fashion trends. Primark’s success is based on sourcing materials at cheap rates and buying in huge volumes. The company has an efficient supply and distribution system for its products. Besides this, Primark makes clothes with simple fabrics and patterns in popular sizes and superior fits. Its customers are usually fashion-conscious people under 35 years of age, who need good quality clothing at reasonable prices.
Among the several awards bestowed on Primark are the Best New Store – Primark Oxford Street, and the Value Retailer of the Year at the Drapers Awards 2007; and the Fashion Retail Interior of the Year, the Shop-fitting Excellence Award and the Best UK Interior Store at the Retail Interior Awards 2007.
The company opened 32 new stores in the financial year 2006–07, covering 4.8 million square feet of retail selling space. This also includes Primark's second store in Spain. Plans are afoot to open eight new stores in the financial year 2008–09 in Ealing and Basingstoke in the UK. Primark is a member of the ethical trading initiative (ETI) and has committed to monitoring and progressively improving working conditions in the factories that supply Primark's merchandise.
The merchandise sold in Primark stores includes sportswear and clothing for children, men and women, hosiery, lingerie, accessories, footwear, household items and toiletries. These are manufactured specifically for the company and bear different brand names such as Active, Atmosphere, Butler & Webb, Cedarwood State, Denim Company, Early Days, Girl 2 Girl, Opia, Rebel Active, Rebel Junior and Primark Home.
