The boss of Primark has given an update on whether the budget clothing retailer will soon be going online. It comes as the chain trials a click-and-collect service at selected stores across England and Wales.
However, despite the trial proving a success, George Weston, chief executive of Primark's owner, Associated British Foods, told the Financial Times that a move into home delivery or an expanded ecommerce operation was not on the cards. He said Primark “is and always has been a high street retailer” and the idea Covid-19 had caused a permanent shift to online shopping was merely “a nice hypothesis”.
Mr Weston told the FT that selling online would harm Primark's profit margin. “At our price points and our basket sizes [online] doesn’t just take some of the margin, it takes all of it,” he said.
A total of 25 stores are taking part in the click-and-collect trial, out of 191 branches across the UK. People can only pick up toys, clothes and nursery items for children - with womenswear, menswear and homeware still only available in bricks and mortar shops, The Mirror reports.
At the time of the launch, Primark CEO Paul Merchant said the trial showcased the very best the retailer had to offer. He said that, overall, Primark was a “big fan of the high street and we believe passionately that a thriving local shopping area benefits everyone in the community”.
He explained how Primark's approach to online shopping was “all about supporting and complementing our stores” and the trial offered customers who lived near smaller Primark outlets a chance to browse its entire range.
The full list of stores currently offering the click-and-collect service is:
- Birkenhead, Grange Road, CH41 6EA
- Blackburn, The Mall Blackburn, BB1 7JG
- Blackpool, Bank Hey Street, FY1 4RY
- Bolton, Crompton Place Shopping, BL1 1EA
- Broughton, Broughton Shopping Park, CH4 0DE
- Burnley, Charter Walk Shopping Centre, BB11 1BB
- Bury, The Rock Shopping Centre, BL9 0ND
- Carlisle, English Street, CA3 8NX
- Chester, Foregate Street, CH1 1HA
- Huddersfield, New Street, HD1 2TR
- Lancaster, Marketgate Shopping Centre, LA1 1JF
- Liverpool, Church Street, L1 3AY
- Llandudno, Parc Llandudno Retail Park, LL30 1PX
- Manchester, Market Street, M1 1WA
- Manchester, The Trafford Centre, M17 8AS
- Oldham, Market Place, OL1 3AB
- Preston, Fishergate Shopping Centre, PR1 8HJ
- Sheffield, Meadowhall, S9 1ER
- Sheffield, The Moor, S1 4PA
- Southport, Chapel Street, PR8 1AE
- Stockport, Chestergate, SK1 1NT
- Wallasey, Cherry Tree Shopping Centre, CH44 5TL
- Warrington, Golden Square, WA1 1QB
- Wigan, Standishgate, WN1 1UP
- Wrexham, Regent Street, LL11 1RY
