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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask what, exactly, is the problem with Primark?

233 replies

waltermittymissus · 31/08/2012 21:41

Seems that it's a dirty word on mumsnet lately.

In Ireland it's called Penneys and people love it (I think!)

Anway, just wondered if you think it's awful why is it awful?

OP posts:
toptramp · 01/09/2012 10:15

I got a lovely new wool fair isle sweater for £14. %80 wool. It looks great and is soft. Does good cashmier too. I admit that some stuff is fugly though.

cocolepew · 01/09/2012 10:17

Years ago before it moved to the mainland we had Penneys/Primark in N.I and the stuff you could find was amazing. I remember getting pure silk shirts, silk mix jumpers and pure cotton cable knit jumpers there for next to nothing.

BTW its Pre-mark not Pry-mark Wink

LesleyPumpshaft · 01/09/2012 10:21

Tbh, if I want a bargain I'll usually have a look on eBay. I've found quite a few clothes that are in top condition and only worn a couple of times, as well as people selling clothes they have never even worn with the tags still attached. I picked up a bargain £70 black silk dress recently with tags still on for £20 including the postage.

As I've said before, I do go to Primark occasionally, but my nearest one is in Gloucester, and I try not to go there unless I absolutely have to!

mowbraygirl · 01/09/2012 10:25

When Primark first opened a shop in Romford Essex must be at least 15 years ago my friend and I bought quite a lot of their v neck t shirts think they were about £3 each and wore them to work which was a Playgroup for 3-5 year old children We thought that if they got paint glue etc. on them and stains wouldn't come out in wash wasn't a lot of money to waste.

All these years later we still wear the t shirts although mostly around the house to do housework in they haven't shrunk or lost their colour.

When first GD was expected 11 years ago I bought the little all in one vests they did her and her sister. DD has been sorting out her loft and came across 6 of them so got them out gave them a good wash and now DS is having them for his first they are in such good condition.

GD1 who has just turned 11 loves Primark she is a bit on the solid side and Primark are the only jeans that fit her nicely. We bought her a skirt there last week that she loved and it was only a £1 thought a great bargain.

24Hours · 01/09/2012 10:30

I regret singing the song know-how I've given myself an ear worm. Sorry all!
I'd love to do charity shop shopping but the ones round here are all Penney's anyway, with some dunnes. Cut out the middle man, I say. Someone else's button less polyester, no thanks

Original poster
waltermittymissus · 01/09/2012 10:33

I think Dunnes is gone fierce expensive though. I saw a top in there the other day for nearly ?50! I was Shock you'd pay that in River Island!

OP posts:
happyinherts · 01/09/2012 10:34

Major problem I find with Primark is sizing. It's just not consistent. Two items of the same 'size' can vary greatly within the same rack. Always take a tape measure out with you. Sizes also varying in that a size 18 can be smaller than a 16.

That together with it being reminscent of a bit of a jumble sale in layout - Harrow store in particular - do not make shopping a pleasant experience.

That said I don't class it all as throwaway fashion. I've had T shirts and tops from Primark last just as long as higher market shops.

I don't always follow the sssh dirty word thing about Primark. My elderly friend (67) bought herself a new blazer / jacket the other week. I commented on it, thought it was lovely. She put her hand over her mouth and whispered the word Primark. Had to snigger. Half my wardrobe comes from Primark and I don't care !

ExitStencilist · 01/09/2012 10:36

Dunnes is odd sizes too, the trousers especially seem to made for women with small waists and giant hips.

Maryz · 01/09/2012 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsRobertDuvallHasRosacea · 01/09/2012 10:38

I quite like Dunnes...always pop in when I visit my brother in Leeds.

Dd got some nice things there. More of a Matalan feel than a jumble sale.

fuzzpig · 01/09/2012 10:46

Round here if somebody compliments somebody's top or something and they say "it's from primark/Sainsburys etc" the only reaction is a positive one as in pleasant surprise that it didn't cost much.

I don't follow latest fashion at all, I just dress for comfort and try and pick stuff that fits me and looks ok. so I don't do the whole buying an outfit just for one wear thing.

handbagCrab · 01/09/2012 10:58

I was in selfridges yesterday and there was a primark concession. Maybe shopping there would cover all bases!

trixymalixy · 01/09/2012 11:08

I don't think Primark clothes are any more throwaway than any other high st store. I have loads of their long sleeve jersey tops for layering, at the same time I bought a gap one, it has faded and gone out of shape while the Primark ones still look great. The only thing I have thrown away from Primark were the big cheap pants I bought for after giving birth.

I don't rate the charity shops round here, £2.50 for a paperback Hmm. I get great bargains from eBay.

LesleyPumpshaft · 01/09/2012 11:18

trixymalixy, I agree, and I know a few people that spend money on good quality clothes that they'll wear for 6 months max. Admittedly they take them to charity shops, but ityou see lots of Primark clothes in charity shops too.

A friend of mine went travelling in India about 4 years ago and she said that Monsoon and FatFace have factories over there and the working conditions are shit. Tbh any massed produced clothing that is made in the developing world is unethical.

TheBigJessie · 01/09/2012 11:53

Is Monsoon owned by the Arcadia Group? Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop and Evans are owned by them, and all got bad ratins for human rights and fair trade and production in 2006.

TheBigJessie · 01/09/2012 11:58

Ratings. Even in I don't pronounce 'g's, I know they're there! Honest.

LesleyPumpshaft · 01/09/2012 12:01

I don't know if Monsoon are owned by the Arcadia Group or not. If you buy a lot of new clothes, it's not eco friendly because of the energy and resources used in production. That's true no matter where you buy your garms.

Ladylazarus2 · 01/09/2012 12:06

Monsoon is NOT owned by the Arcadia group and have an ethical sourcing policy

LesleyPumpshaft · 01/09/2012 12:13

That's not what my friend said when she got back from India, although that could have changed in the last few years. You have to take these companies with a large pinch of salt. They don't own the factories and just because a percentage of workers only do a 12 hour day, or some organic cotton is used in manufacture they all the same in the grand scheme of things. It's better to buy second hand or pay through the nose for clothes that definitely come from workers in the developed world. That said, even workers in the UK would be working for not much more than minimum wage and the job would be shite. I suggest we all go naked. Grin

captainhastings · 01/09/2012 12:20

I would not buy for myself in primary as the quality is so awful. I think women with less than perfect shapes need well made clothes. When money had been tight I have bought second hand.

My children buy the off thing from primark, I find many of the girl's stuff in particular quite tarty and was quite relieved when my dd outgrew it all

I once bought some primark coloured tights and had to throw them out as the quality was so bad, they kept falling down , same for socks.

TheBigJessie · 01/09/2012 12:25

It's all about the shades of crap in what may be a crappy job.

Forced overtime, female workers threatened with rape, that kind of thing. Sometimes the best of the worst is still awful. That doesn't mean it's not preferable to funding the alternatives.

saltnpepashere · 01/09/2012 12:29

I love Primary and it is absolute bollocks that the stuff from there is disposable 'one wear' stuff. I have cardigans and vests I bought from there ages ago that are still the same shape and colour as they were the day I bought them, whereas I have bought stuff from Next/Dorothy Perkins recently that cant be worn more than about 3 times as the quality is just shit.

I do agree it is a bit hit and miss with the stuff in there though (quality and style wise), and the sizing is hilarious!

Incidentally we always used to go to Ireland every year as kids as my dad is Irish and we LOVED Penneys! We used to come back with PJs, bags and all sorts and boast to our friends at home about how cheap it all was!

saltnpepashere · 01/09/2012 12:29

*Primark

moajab · 01/09/2012 13:47

My DS3 is currently wearing a Primark T-shirt which both his older brothers wore! I bought it for £1.50 about 7 years ago. The colour and shape are still fine.
I nearly always buy my Christmas PJs in Primark. And I find them great for casual clothes for the kids. I don't often buy my own clothes there as I find the sizes a bit strange, apart from underwear. My DH's idea of clothes shopping is to nip into Primark and come out with a load of new shirts, t-shirts, trousers etc.!

hackmum · 01/09/2012 13:48

TheBigJessie is right - it's wrong to assume that all clothing retailers are equally unethical. As she said, M&S, H&M etc have ethical policies. As does Next - its website gives its ethical trading code, which says:

There are 10 key principles to our code:
No child labour
No forced labour
Freedom of association
Healthy and safe working conditions
Reasonable wages and benefits
Equal opportunities
Employment security
Respectful treatment of employees
Effective management system

So people might not like Next but it's wrong to pretend that there's nothing to choose between it and places like Primark or Asda in terms of its use of child labour.