Primark: (Primark)

Member Name: englishrose

Product:	Primark
Date:	11/03/09 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap.Fashionable.Fun.

Disadvantages: Allegedly dodgy employer behaviour, as seen on TV

Primark is a chainstore that sells mainly clothing and footwear, but also some household goods and gifts.

In any given branch of Primark, the majority of the floor space will be for ladies clothing, footwear and accessories - too right!

The sizes in the UK range from 6 to 18, although not all ranges have all sizes. Also, a lot of the clothes will bear a label saying something like "12-14" or "6-8" so it is designed to spread over two sizes.

The main thing that Primark are popular for is their prices. As you enter the store, you pick up a basket - they have those circular folding type, by the way - and before you know it, you will be throwing things in left, right and centre.

In Primark , you see things that you really like the look of, and when you see the price, often you feel it must be a misprint. For example, they have all types of ladies jeans, in up to date styles, at around £8.00, this is the regular price, not the sale price.

Primark are well known too for having bang up-to-date trends instore at all times: Years ago, they were a cheap and cheerful bargain shop but only for basic items, but recently they have become the place to shop for financially-challenged fashionista's.

A few items that have been featured in the national papers, or on TV, have been known to sell out on the same day (and have later sold on Ebay at massively over-inflated prices).

This store has it all: jeans, t-shirts, skirts, coats, all the basic items, plus trend-led items too - tops, accessories, shoes and boots.

You can also pick up office-wear here for a song, and they have a lingerie/underwear department that, again, has your basic packs of pants right up to gorgeous frillies.

The larger branches now also sell make-up and bath products and the like: I have tried some of the make-up, and I must admit, it's not got the best colour pigments or anything like that, but it's fine for adding a bit of fun colour (and great for kits for the children to play dress-up with!).

They also stock menswear and childrenswear, in much smaller quantities mind you, and the story is the same here: Last year I picked up some much-wanted High School Musical girls' pyjamas for around £4.00!

The quality and longevity of this clothing is sometimes called into question: I would say that, when you hand your money over at the till, you can pretty much guess what you are paying for: you don't expect it to last forever.

Personally, everything I have ever bought from Primark has washed and lasted fine, no more or less than any other shop.

In the run-up to Christmas, Primark also stock Christmas decorations and gifts, wrapping paper and all the trimmings, and there is a homeware section available all year round which has some really nice bedding, towels, candles, and the like.

Primark is now in every major town or city in England as far as I know, and they are expanding fast. They are one of those businesses that seem to be using the credit crunch to their advantage.

They have been criticised by some because their low prices are made achievable by their use of foreign workers abroad: A documentary was made for TV last year which showed that some of those workers were children. This is widely known information now, but it doesn't seem to have done them any harm, sales-wise: I guess at the moment, people are voting with their wallets rather than with their hearts. For this, I have taken one star off my rating, otherwise it would have been 5 stars because of all the other good things about it.

Overall verdict: Everyone in our house uses Primark. The clothes are fashionable and affordable, and the quality seems as good as anywhere else. And you get a posh-looking paper bag to take them home in, which makes you feel a bit more rich, lol.

Summary: Great for a bargain fashion fix