Primark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type | Subsidiary of Associated British Foods (ABF) plc |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters |  Dublin, Ireland |
| Number of locations | 188 |
| Key people | Arthur Ryan, chairman and managing director[1], Seamus M. Halford, Deputy Managing Director, Patrick Prior, Finance Director, Breege O'Donoghue, Human Resources Director |
| Industry | Retailer |
| Products | Clothes, Linen also Household Goods |
| Revenue | £1,933m (2008) [1] |
| Employees | 27,500 |
Primark is a clothing retailer, operating in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Portugal. It operates a total of 188 stores with 34 in Ireland, 125 in the UK, 8 in Spain and 1 in the Netherlands, Germany and in Portugal. Whilst the company's main headquarters are based in Ireland where it trades as Penneys, the chain is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF), and is ultimately controlled by the Weston family through Wittington Investments. The company positions itself as marketing fashionable clothing at competitive prices.
In England the name is generally pronounced /ˈpraɪmɑrk/ PRY-mark. However, in Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Scotland it is usually pronounced /ˈpriːmɑrk/ pree-mark.[citation needed] While some believe the store to have originally been pronounced pry-mark, and it is pronounced that way on a Primark corporate video,[2] the company had an intensive annual advertising campaign each Christmas during the 1980s in which the store was referred to on several occasions (throughout the song/jingle) as pree-mark, although in Ireland this lyric was dubbed over as 'Penneys'.
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[edit] Market position
Primark is known for selling clothes at the budget end of the market. The company's success is based on sourcing supply cheaply, making clothes with simple designs and fabrics, only making them in the most popular sizes, buying stock in huge bulks and varieties and not advertising.
[edit] Primark's own brands
All of the company's merchandise is made specifically for the company and as such Primark has its own brand names:
- Active — sporting boyswear
- Atmosphere — womenswear and accessories and footwear
- Butler & Webb — formal menswear
- Cedarwood State — casual menswear
- Denim Co. — womenswear, casual men's and childrenswear
- Early Days — babywear
- Girl 2 Girl — young girlswear
- Opia - accessories
- Rebel Active — older boyswear
- Rebel Junior — younger boyswear
- Young Dimension(YD) — older girlswear
- Primark Beauty - Cosmetics
- Primark Home — home items
- Secret Possessions — lingerie, women's nightwear
- Essentials - Basic Cheaper Items
[edit] Criticism
[edit] Working practices
In 2005, Primark scored the lowest of all leading clothing chains in the UK - at just 3.5 out of 20 - on an ethical index that ranks criteria such as workers' rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes. The figure was contested by Primark and Ethical Consumer released a statement indicating that marks had been skewed due to its position in a wider company group.
In 2006, Primark joined the Ethical Trading Initiative, a collaborative organization bringing together businesses, trades unions and NGOs to work on labour rights issues in their supply chains.[3] ETI members commit to working towards the implementation of a code of conduct based on the International Labour Organisation's core conventions.
In 2008, poor working conditions in Indian factories supplying Primark were the subject of an undercover investigative documentary by the BBC's Panorama. Primark subsequently stopped doing business with the Indian supplier.
On 9 January 2009, a supplier was forced by ETI to remove its branding from Primark stores and websites following a BBC/The Observer investigation into the employment practices. The investigation alleged use of illegal immigrant labour which was paid less than the UK legal minimum wage.[4]
[edit] Child labour
On 23 June 2008, the BBC broadcast a Panorama programme that showed unethical manufacturing practices in Primark's supply chain. Undercover reporters exposed child labour in three of India's garment factories sub-contracted by Primark. [5] The BBC alerted Primark to their findings, to which Primark replied: "Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities". Primark has since halted business with the mentioned suppliers, although this action was criticised by child protection groups as being irresponsible and likely to cause additional hardship to the labourers, arguing it would have been better to ensure working practices were turned around.
[edit] Stores
| Country | Number of Stores |
|---|---|
| Ireland |
34 (trading as 'Penneys') |
 United Kingdom |
125 |
 Spain |
8 |
 Netherlands |
1 |
 Portugal |
1 |
 Germany |
1 |
[edit] References
- ^ Primark oldie’s golden touch, The Times, April 22, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2008.
- ^ Primark - In Our Own Words. [Corporate Video]. Associated British Foods plc. http://www.abf.co.uk/about/videos.asp. Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
- ^ Primark joins Ethical Trading Initiative - Press Release - ETI
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/11/primark-ethical-business-living
- ^ BBC NEWS | Business | Ministers pressed on child labour
- Alam, Khorshed; M. Hearson (2006-12-08). Fashion Victims (pdf), War on Want, Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- Kehoe, Ian. "The very private Ryan", Sunday Business Post, 2006-08-01. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
- Primark Stores Ltd, www.primark.co.uk
- The Independent Newspaper, UK, Dec 2005/ July 2007
