Primark Stores Limited
Type	Subsidiary of Associated British Foods (ABF) plc
Founded	Dublin, Ireland, 1969
Headquarters	Dublin and Reading
Key people	Arthur Ryan, chairman and managing director[1], Seamus M. Associated British Foods plc ( is a British Multinational food ingredients and retail group with sales of £6 Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Managing director is the term used for the Chief executive of many limited companies in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and some other English Halford, Deputy Managing Director, Patrick Prior, Finance Director, Breege O'Donoghue, Human Resources Director
Industry	Retailer
Products	Clothes, Linen also Household Goods
Revenue	£1,602m (2007) [1]
Employees	26,001
Website	primark.co.uk

Primark Stores Limited is an Irish clothing retailer, operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It has 161 stores with 125 in the UK, 34 in the Republic of Ireland and 4 in Spain. In the Republic of Ireland, where the company's main headquarters are based, it trades as Penneys. The company is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods (ABF) plc, employing over 26,000 people. Associated British Foods plc ( is a British Multinational food ingredients and retail group with sales of £6 The company positions itself as marketing fashionable clothing at competitive prices. There has been criticism of Primark concerning it's supply chain, namely sweat shops in India and Bangladesh where employees work under harsh conditions for minimal pay. A sweatshop is a working environment with very difficult or dangerous conditions usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situation India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially There was going to be a programme, exposing the manufacturing of the clothing for Primark on Channel 4 on Sunday June 1st 2008, however, at the last minute and for currently unknown reasons the programme was withdrawn from schedules. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began

In England the name is generally pronounced /pɹaɪ'mɑːk/ (first syllable is pronounced "pry" and the second syllable with "mark"). England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland However, in Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Northern England and Scotland the name is usually pronounced /pɹi'mɑːk/ (first syllable is pronounced "pree"). Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Northern England, The North, The North of England or (less commonly The North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

The pronunciation of name leads to some debate and while some believe the store to have originally been originally pronounced "Pry-mark" /pɹaɪ'mɑːk/, the company had an intensive annual advertising campaign each Christmas during the 1980s where the store was referred to on several occasions throughout the song/jingle as "Pre-Mark" /pɹi'mɑːk/. Although in the Republic of Ireland, this lyric was redubbed as 'Penneys'. ^{[2] [3]} However on the Primark corporate video, the company is pronounced "Pry-mark" /pɹaɪ'mɑːk/. ^[4]

Contents 1 Market position 2 Company history 3 Departments 4 Primark Own Brands 5 Store structure 6 Working practices 7 References 8 External links

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 but most importantly Primark do not advertise their products. Ths store states that "Primark targets young, fashion-conscious under 35's, offering them high quality, fashion basics at value for money prices. "

Company history

The original Penneys store was set up by Arthur Ryan and his partner Micaela Mitchell in Mary Street, Dublin, Ireland, in 1969. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England Leeds city centre is the business and commercial centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Arthur Ryan still remains Chairman of the company today. Primark's UK headquarters are located in Reading, in a former Co-Op Department Store

In the late 1990s, Primark acquired several premises from former C&A sites. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Co-operative Group Limited, trading as The Co-operative Group, is a United Kingdom Consumers' co-operative, and one of the world's largest consumer-owned C&A is also an abbreviation for the Camden and Amboy Railroad. In 2001, It also became the leaseholder of the former Lewis's Department Store in Piccadilly, Manchester. Lewis's is a large Department store in Liverpool city centre Lewis's Ltd was a department store group operating in the United Kingdom from 1856 to the In early 1995, Primark acquired Bhs's OneUp chain. Bhs or British Home Stores (formerly BHS and BhS) is a stalwart department store of the British High Street, selling clothing and household items In line with corporate policy, the Irish stores were rebranded as Penneys, and the British stores were rebranded as Primark. This purchase more than doubled the then size of Primark.

In February 2005, Primark bought six former Allders sites from their administrators, Kroll. Allders is an independent Department store in Croydon, Surrey, England. Kroll is a global risk consulting company headquartered in New York. In July 2005 the 120-branch Littlewoods retail chain was purchased for £409 million. Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling empire founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by Sir John Moores. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency Primark kept approximately 40 of the stores converting them to the Primark format and sold the rest to other stores such as New Look. New Look is a chain of high street shops in Britain, Belgium, France and the Republic of Ireland, popular at first with girls and women

In 2006 Primark opened its first two stores outside the UK and Ireland in Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. On 19 May 2006 the first store opened in Plenilunio Shopping Centre outside Madrid, Spain. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. On 20 September 2006 the second store opened in Nueva Condomina Shopping Centre, Murcia. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Murcia ( is the capital city of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, located at the river Segura in south-eastern Spain. Its third branch opened in November 2007 at the Xanadú Shopping Center and Indoor Ski Resort, between Móstoles and Arroyomolinos, some 25 km away from central Madrid, soon followed by Jerez de la Frontera. Móstoles is the second-largest city in population belonging to the autonomous community of Madrid.

On 5 September 2007 it was revealed that Primark had been fined £8000 for supplying clothes which breached safety regulations. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Primark were fined £500 for 16 hoodies with an unsafe neck cord being sold at the Gateshead and Sunderland stores. Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. Sunderland (, or /ˈsʌn(dlən/ is a City in Tyne and Wear, England. ^[5][6]

On 5 April 2007 Primark opened its UK flagship store on Oxford Street in London's West End, having acquired the lease of the former Allders site in December 2005. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in London, England in the City of Westminster. The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions businesses headquarters and the commercial

On 18 March 2008, Primark's newest store opened in the old Allders department store in The Malls, Basingstoke at 9am. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Malls Basingstoke is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England built between 1978 and 1981 Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, England It lies across a Valley at the source of the River Loddon.

On March 21 2008, a woman was hospitalised allegedly due to an allergic reaction to Primark briefs. [2]

On April 4 2008, a three year-old girl was taken to hospital after falling about 30m (100ft) through a gap between two escalators in the Primark store in Liverpool. An escalator is a Conveyor transport device for transporting people consisting of individual linked steps that move up or down on tracks which keep the treads Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary [3]

According to the retailing trade journal, Retail Week and The Times Newspaper, Primark is interested in expanding to Germany and later to Scandinavia and the Netherlands. A trade journal is a Periodical, Magazine or Publication printed with the intention of Target marketing to a specific Industry or type The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Speculators say that Primark could open as many as 100 stores in Germany. ^{[7] [8]}

Departments

Primark carries a range of departments all identified for staff by numbers:

1 - Accessories
2 - Hosiery
4 - Lingerie
5 - Kidswear
6 - Menswear
7 - Footwear
8 - Ladieswear
11 - Household
23 - Toiletries
24 - Christmas
26 - Sports Wear

Primark 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
• Butler & Webb — Formal Menswear
• Cedarwood State — Casual Menswear
• Denim Company — 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 - Older Girlswear

• Primark Home - Home Items

Store structure

The Store Manager is in overall control of the store and supported by, in smaller stores an Assistant Manager or in larger stores, by a Deputy Manager and two to three Assistant Managers. There are then Senior Department Managers and Junior Department Managers who are responsible for individual departments within the store.

Below management there are supervisors in charge of staff on a sales floor or staff on specific departments depending on the size of the store. There are then the department staff who put out stock and tidy their departments, customer service staff who deal with returns and exchanges along with general enquiries at the customer service desk, cashiers who work on the tills, staff who supervise and look after fitting rooms, stock-room staff who deal with deliveries and cash office staff who count money and do the banking.

Unlike other retail stores Primark has separate weekday and weekend staff and supervisors. Weekday staff work Monday to Friday on either full time 37. 5-hour contracts or part time 20-hour contracts. Weekend staff work Saturday, Sunday, Public holidays and usually one late night, normally Thursday on 8-hour contracts.

Working practices

In 2006, Primark joined the Ethical Trading Initiative, a collaborative forum bringing together businesses, trade unions and NGOs to work on labour rights issues in their supply chains. The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI is an alliance of companies Non-governmental organisations (NGOs and trade union organisations promoting Ethical consumerism. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of Legal rights and claimed Human rights having to do with Labor relations between Workers ^[9] ETI members commit to working towards the implementation of a code of conduct based on the International Labour Organisation's core conventions. The International Labour Organization Membership of the ETI does not, however, provide any guarantees about either the quality of a company's ethical trading policies or actual conditions on the ground. Since it joined the ETI, Primark's policies and practices have been examined sceptically as part of Labour Behind the Label's annual 'Let's Clean Up Fashion' survey ^[10], and poor working conditions in Bangladeshi and Indian factories supplying Primark have been exposed several times ^[11], ^[12], ^[13]. Labour Behind the Label (LBL is a campaign for Workers' rights in the clothing industry

In 2005, prior to joining the ETI, Primark 2005 scored worst at just 3. 5 out of 20 on an ethical index that ranks the leading clothing chains on criteria such as workers' rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes Mk One and Marks & Spencer were ranked second and third worst for ethics by Ethical Consumer magazine). Marks & Spencer Group plc (also M&S, Marks and Sparks, and Marks) is a British Retailer with 843 stores in more than 30 Ethical Consumer is a UK magazine that also publishes a lot of its key information for free on its corresponding website is in its own words "an alternative consumer organisation 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.

References

• Alam, Khorshed; M. Hearson (2006-12-08). Fashion Victimes (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

External links

• Official site
• Clarification on Ethical Consumer rating of Primark
• Primark Profile in 2007 'Let's Clean Up Fashion' survey

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