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===Child labour===
===Child labour===
On 23 June 2008, the [[BBC]] broadcast a ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' programme that showed manufacturing practices which it considered to be unethical in Primark's supply chain. Undercover reporters exposed child labour in three of India's garment factories sub-contracted by Primark.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7467846.stm | work=BBC News | title=Ministers pressed on child labour | date=2008-06-22 | accessdate=2010-05-22}}</ref> 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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
On 23 June 2008, the [[BBC]] broadcast a ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' programme that showed manufacturing practices which it considered to be unethical in Primark's supply chain. Undercover reporters exposed child labour in three of India's garment factories sub-contracted by Primark.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7467846.stm | work=BBC News | title=Ministers pressed on child labour | date=2008-06-22 | accessdate=2010-05-22}}</ref> 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.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

==Tax avoidance==
Primark's parent company Associated British Foods was criticised by [[UK Uncut]] for tax avoidance. Primark and Associated British Foods moved capital through an affiliated partnership called ABF European Holdings & Co SNC which is based in Luxembourg. <ref>[http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Documents/abfeh.pdf ABF European Holdings & Co SNC 2008 accounts]</ref>


==Stores==
==Stores==

Revision as of 15:35, 5 April 2011

"Penneys" redirects here. For the American retailer, see J.C. Penney.
Primark Stores Limited
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail
HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
Number of locations
215[1]
Key people
Arthur Ryan, Chairman
Paul Marchant, Chief Executive

Seamus M. Halford, Deputy Managing Director
John Lyttle, Chief Operating Officer
Ben Mansfield, Sales Director
Breege O'Donoghue, HR, PR & Advertising Director
Aidan Shields, Finance Director
ProductsWomenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, accessories, lingerie and homeware
Revenue£2,730m (Financial Year 2009/2010)
£341m (Financial Year 2009/2010)
Number of employees
36,000
ParentAssociated British Foods plc

Primark (branded as Penneys in the Republic of Ireland) is a clothing retailer, operating over 200 stores in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium.[2] Whilst the company's main headquarters are based in Ireland, the chain is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc (ABF), and is ultimately controlled by the Weston family through Wittington Investments.

The largest Primark store is located on Market Street, Manchester, England. Some 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of retail space are spread across its three floors. It took over from Liverpool in 2008 after TK Maxx moved from the basement floor to the Arndale Centre, allowing Primark to further expand.

Market position

Primark on The Headrow in Leeds city centre, occupying the former Odeon cinema there.

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.

Primark's own brands

Primark in Manchester City Centre

All of the company's merchandise is made specifically for the company and as such Primark has its own brand names:

  • Atmosphere — womenswear/footwear
  • Active - menswear
  • Backswing - womens and mens sportswear
  • Butler & Webb — formal menswear
  • Cedarwood State — casual menswear
  • Denim Co. — womenswear, casual men's and childrenswear
  • Early Days — babywear (newborn-23mnths)
  • Essentials - basic cheaper items
  • Girl 2 Girl — young girlswear (2yrs-7yrs)
  • Limited Edition — womenswear
  • Opia - accessories
  • Primark Beauty - Cosmetics
  • Primark Home — home items
  • Rebel — boyswear
  • Secret Possessions — lingerie, women's nightwear
  • Young Dimension (YD) — older girlswear (7yrs-13yrs)

Criticism

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.

In December 2008, the UK charity War on Want launched a new report, Fashion Victims II, that showed terms and conditions had not improved in Bangladeshi factories supplying Primark, two years after the charity first visited them.[4]

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.[5]

Child labour

On 23 June 2008, the BBC broadcast a Panorama programme that showed manufacturing practices which it considered to be unethical in Primark's supply chain. Undercover reporters exposed child labour in three of India's garment factories sub-contracted by Primark.[6] 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.[citation needed]

Tax avoidance

Primark's parent company Associated British Foods was criticised by UK Uncut for tax avoidance. Primark and Associated British Foods moved capital through an affiliated partnership called ABF European Holdings & Co SNC which is based in Luxembourg. [7]

Stores

Country Number of Stores[2]
United Kingdom United Kingdom 150
Republic of Ireland Ireland 38
Spain Spain 19
Germany Germany 3
Portugal Portugal 2
Belgium Belgium 1
Netherlands Netherlands 2

In July 2010 the 200th primark store opened in The Mall Blackburn as part of its £66 million new development.

There are rumours of openings in Switzerland and Austria.[8] In September 2010, the first Primark store opened in Gran Canaria (Las Arenas, Las Palmas). Primark opened its second store in the Netherlands (Hoofddorp) and also in Gran Canaria (El Mirador) in November 2010. In December 2010, the third Primark store opened in Germany (Gelsenkirchen) and in 2011 a new store will open in Saarbrücken, Germany.[9] In 2013 a third Dutch shop will be opened in Nijmegen.[10]

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b http://www.primark.eu
  3. ^ Primark joins Ethical Trading Initiative - Press Release - ETI
  4. ^ http://www.waronwant.org/campaigns/supermarkets/fashion-victims/inform/16360-fashion-victims-ii
  5. ^ McDougall, Dan (2009-01-11). "Primark in storm over conditions at UK supplier". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  6. ^ "Ministers pressed on child labour". BBC News. 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  7. ^ ABF European Holdings & Co SNC 2008 accounts
  8. ^ http://www.dowjones.de/site/2009/07/primark-founderceo-has-no-plans-to-leave-executive.html
  9. ^ http://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/aufmacher/lokalnews/Saarbruecken-Iren-Sinn-Leffers;art27857,3482748
  10. ^ http://www.styletoday.nl/fashion/nieuws/1743/primark-nijmegen-opent-in-2013-haar-deuren-
  • 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
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