Primark a High Street hit, Savvy Marketing

Primark has solidified its position as the bricks and mortar retailer defying current convention that online is the answer to all woes. That’s the view of Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO and Founder, Savvy Marketing.

She made the claim as Primark's owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), reported that revenue was up 3% to £7.4 billion in the 24 weeks to 3rd March. Overall same-store sales at Primark fell 1.5% during the period, the result of unseasonably warm weather in October followed by freezing temperatures across northern Europe in the spring. In the UK, however, same-store sales rose 3%, due to an increase in selling space and the breadth of its consumer offering.

“All that with only a physical store presence. And those stores are great,” comments Shuttleworth. “If you visit Primark stores over the weekend you will see just how much shoppers love the offer and have decided that  this retailer is a 'must shop'  location on the UK High Street. The scale of the business can only impress and the stores are managed very efficiently, with banks of checkouts and staff on the shopfloor keeping up with folding clothing and rebuilding the stores throughout the trading day as they are ruthlessly shopped by the many Primark fans in the UK.”