Primark opening times in the UK has been greatly increased over previous seasons. The store is now open from Friday, August 4 through Sunday, September 3rd. This is a change from the traditional opening of the store on Saturday, which was always held on a Friday. For customers this change can mean more options and chances at finding the perfect primark garment to meet their needs. The company is also doing something it has never done before: giving its customers more options in choosing when they shop.
Primark stores are to remain open tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as well. The retailer previously announced a select number of stores would be open for just 24 hours, to celebrate its re-opening following England’s first economic lock-out in eighty years. Primark stores found in high-end shopping centres and retail parks were to stay open until 10pm on each of these days, with some closing as early as midnight. The change was meant to encourage shoppers to take advantage of last minute deals offered by the stores.
However, retailers have reported a different result. Customers seem to be busier than ever before in September, with many taking advantage of savings from the busy shopping centre environment. Some have even managed to completely bypass the shopping centre in order to make the trip to a local high street store for a bargain.
If you’re one of the people who have managed to Dodge the store crowds, then it may be worthwhile to look around other local stores. Most high street stores have followed suit and have chosen to remain open for a shorter period, usually two days or earlier. In addition, many will cut out Saturday and Sunday shopping altogether. These are often the best buys, and retailers can benefit from increased foot traffic. However, some customers are becoming fed up with shopping centres and are willing to do their shopping wherever they wish for a few days.
One prime example of how consumers are choosing to bypass the high street is Argos. The store has long been renowned for its annual Big Spring sales, where it sells everything from chocolates to clothes to books. But in January it plans to launch its own store at Covent Garden, an area of London which for decades has been among the city’s most affluent. The move is seen as an attempt to take advantage of a growing gap between rich and poor. Although the store will not be as big as Sainsbury’s, it is expected to create around a thousand jobs.
Marks and Spencer are another high-street store, which has decided to ignore its traditional opening times. The store will open on Friday, from six to eight, in London’s Knightsbridge. Although this sounds like the perfect time to sell its goods, the store’s managing director, James Finestra, told the Financial Times that he had expected the store to do better. With more online shopping taking place on the Web, he said that his business had seen a “dramatic decline” in the number of sales.
In response to the problems faced by many traditional high street stores, the chief executive of one of the UK’s leading retailers, John Lewis, has urged customers to shop online instead of making their way down to the store. Mr Lewis told the BBC that shoppers were becoming “bogged down” with the activities that fill up their busy lives. “They want to go out and have a bit of fun but don’t have time to get into the shops,” he said. This is the message that remark is attempting to send by having its own store in Covent Garden.
The success of primary is in its branding. The company designs its stores around its main product – food. The choice of food to be displayed in its stores reflects this focus. In addition to serving traditional British food, the store offers an extensive range of international cuisine. Although it is possible to order primark online, those who are in the neighbourhood should visit the store in person to take a look at the range and experience for themselves.