Affordable fashion, good quality and good range of items (Primark)

Member Name: emmajt81

Product:	Primark
Date:	06/10/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and fashionable!!

Disadvantages: The stores can get very very busy indeed

Primark has been around for years and year but it is only in the last few years that it has really come into it's own. I would say Primark is now one of the most popular stores on the high street due to it's very affordable fashion.

Primark is, in a word, cheap. You can get tops in there for £1.50 sometimes (and those aren't sale rates either) - a pair of good flat shoes for £4 and bags from about £3. It really is so cheap that you end up filling one of their huge baskets with stuff, and it will probably only come to about £30! Brilliant. Despite the clothes etc being cheap, generally they are pretty good quality. I've bought things at 20 times the price in other shops on the highstreet and had them fall apart in a month.

The downside to Primark as always is how busy the place gets and it's lack of air conditioning - in the stores I have visited at least in London, Romford and Thurrock. In the summer when there's hundreds of people in there it sometimes doesn't smell very pleasant - I try to avoid Primark at busy times like a Saturday afternoon or after work in the week in London because it gets so busy that I get frustrated. I love a bargain as much as the next person but I am not willing to trade my sanity for them! You have to have a certain mindset when you go into Primark at busy times - know what you want, get in there and get out is the motto. If you want to browse at busy times then you will really need patience. People barge into you, no one picks anything up they drop on the floor so the whole place just looks a tip. I don't know why - if you walk into Topshop and knock stuff over you wouldn't leave it there and walk on it, you'd pick it up, so why people don't do this in Primark I have no idea.

Sometimes patience is worth it though - Primark have a pretty quick turn around in stock so if you see something, it may not be there in a few weeks time. If you like it, just buy it there and then and bring it back if needs be. Primark have a 28 day return policy and separate desks for returns and they are quite efficient at refunding you if you have a receipt. I have returned things a few times simply because I haven't tried things on - the queues for changing rooms can be quite long if the store is particularly busy.

The only thing which annoys me is that some of their 'basics' rang comes up a bit short on me (I am past the age of wanting to show off my midriff when I lift my arms up thanks) so never really buy anything from the 'basics'. The rest of their stuff is usually a good fit, although I find I am usually a size bigger in Primark than other stores - I do vary from store to store anyway so I don't think Primark are alone in their sizing issues! They have a great shoe section - lots to choose from - and a fairly good jewellery section. I have to buy cheap jewellery for work purposes and Primark comes in very handy for that I have to say!

Their mens department is just as good as the womens - and you'll be pleased to hear not half as busy! Men don't really browse they get in and get out so it's much easier to look around the mens department. They don't have as much choice as the womens department do, especially shoes, but they do a good range. Childrens wear is great in Primark. Kids grow so quickly that the cheap clothing is so handy. My friend with a 3 and one year old shops in here all the time. They are such cute clothes too!

Primark also have a fairly good homewares department. I have never bought anything from there but am moving next year so am sure I will venture in and have a proper look. Right now, it's the place to go for clothes and shoes for me.

Primark is basically disposable clothing - it's cheap and fast moving and there's always something new in store. If something happens to it, it's not the end of the world because it was so cheap to begin with. Yes its busy, sometimes far too busy, but it's great for those of us on a budget, especially these days!!

Summary: Affordable disposable clothing - good range and good choice but can be very busy!