Find Cheap Clothing at Primark

Primark states that its target audience are "young, fashion-conscious under 35s" and it aims to offer "high quality fashion basics at value for money prices."

Primark is most well known for its clothing but it also sells accessories, household things such as towels, bed linen and luggage and toiletries.
I have only been to one Primark store and that is the large Primark store on Oxford Street in London so my review will concentrate on that store. The store is really big and is set out over 2 floors. The ground floor is dedicated to Ladieswear and also includes lingerie and nightwear. Upstairs is footwear, accessories, menswear, childrens and the home department.
As you enter the shop there are baskets and its advisable to pick one of these up as you are likely to need it, the majority of people tend to visit and buy lots of things rather than just one item.

The stock changes regularly with new deliveries coming in weekly to copy the most recent fashion trends. However there are also the basic items which do not change regularly things like t-shirts and fitted tops. There is a wide range of clothing from casual wear, knitwear, denims to smarter office wear. You can expect to pay as little as £2 for a basic t-shirt to around £6 for a smarter top.

People don't visit Primark for the shopping experience its for the low prices. The shop is often busy, my advice is to go early when its quieter and avoid weekends or lunchtimes if you possibly can. If you want to try on clothes you really need to come early or be prepared to queue. Although they have quite a few changing rooms because people on average are taking in around 8 items (I think this is the limit) it takes a long time to get everyone through. Some people have more items in their baskets so the assistant has to count and then leave some at the desk whilst they try the 8 items they have and then come back to try the others, which all takes a long time.

When it comes to paying for items the queues are often long but they have loads of checkouts so you don't have to wait too long. In the store in London there are rows of tills both downstairs and upstairs so although there are near enough always queues they do get through them quite quickly.

I have to admit that I quite like a little shopping trip to Primark. We don't have one near us so its nice to go and visit and pick up a bargain. Some of the clothes are not well made and go out of shape after you wash them once but others I have found are really good and I have some fitted t-shirts that I bought a year ago and still wear them and they still look great and they were only £2 when I bought them. On my last trip I bought a couple of fitted t-shirts at £2, some nice casual trousers for £6, a buttoned cardigan with a belt for £6, some nice cosy slippers in an UGG boot style for £4 amongst other things.

Its not for everyone though. My husband would not shop here for himself, he prefers much more expensive shops! I like to mix their clothing with perhaps more expensive items I have bought elsewhere. I don't think you could tell that some of the clothing cost less than £10.

I think if you go to Primark you need to be prepared to browse around and separate the good from the bad. There are some bargains but there are also some rather cheap looking things and not all the sizes are great. I tried on some bras but felt that the sizes were really out so didn't buy them. Some of the tops can also be very cheap material and look very cheaply made. Sometimes the shop can be a bit like a jumble sale with clothes falling on the floor or tops piled up on tables and all over the place. You need to be careful as when I was looking at cardigans many of them had belts missing and I nearly got caught out picking up what I thought was the right size but finding that the size marked on the hanger was not the same as the size of the actual cardigan so be aware and check before you buy.

I havent shopped in the childrenswear department but I imagine if the prices are as competitive as in the ladieswear then it would be great for those on a tight budget especially as kids grow out of clothes so quickly.

For some people Primark would not be a store they would want to visit because of ethical issues. Primark does have various statements on their website talking about how they are against exploitation of their workers etc, I think where the problem lies is that sometimes work is subcontracted and then workers are getting exploited without Primark knowing. I guess the question is whether they should be doing more to look into this, however I don't think that it is just Primark that is guilty of this, I think many other companies are probably involved too. I think that if it is something you are concerned about you need to look at the website and then make up your own mind about whether to shop at Primark or not.

I think in the current economic climate shops like Primark will continue to do a roaring trade with people looking to cut back spending but still wanting to have something new. I just wish they would open a Primark near me so I could visit more regularly!