As Primark celebrates its 50th anniversary on the British high street, UK retail director Kari Rodgers speaks to Retail Week about the evolution and expansion of the business over the past five decades and how it plans to continue on an upward trajectory.
Primark has long been a high street staple, in fact, today marks the value apparel giant’s 50th anniversary on British high streets after opening its first store in Derby in 1974.
Initially favoured for wardrobe staples at bargain prices, Primark has been on quite the journey over the past five decades and nowadays is famed for its trend-led fashion, homeware hero products and being one of the biggest sellers of licensed products.
With that in mind, Primark’s UK retail director Kari Rodgers says being clear on doing things “the Primark way” has been the key to the retailer’s roaring success.
“I think understanding who we are and how we serve our customers has been key,” she states.
“A lot of retailers have disappeared from the high street and maybe some of them lost their way around what the core part of their business was but we are absolutely clear on what ours is.”
In a tour of Primark’s Oxford Street East store, Rodgers speaks to Retail Week about the past, present and future of Primark, its evolution and the secret to success.
High street dedication
From opening its doors for the first time in Derby with the ambition of “bringing affordable clothing to people on the high street” to an almost 195-strong store estate today, one thing that has remained top of Primark’s priorities over the years is its commitment to the high street.
Despite having previously moved into former C&A, BHS and Co-op Living stores, Rodgers says the most pivotal moment for Primark’s bricks-and-mortar offer was in 2005.
That was the year Primark’s parent Associated British Foods purchased Littlewoods and converted 41 of its stores into Primark branches – the moment that Primark said it truly transitioned into a “household name”.
Fast forward to 2024 and Primark is still investing in the high street, having pledged a £100m investment into its store estate this year.
“We are absolutely wedded to our stores and customer reactions are why we’re doing it. Whether it’s a new store or an existing store, the reactions are amazing.
“Even in towns and cities that already have a Primark, giving customers the newest version of the store really excites them and gets them to come and visit us and that excitement also attracts new shoppers to Primark still which is just fabulous.”
An exciting experience
Whether it’s an in-store Greggs, a nail bar, vintage clothing pop-up, or a Shrek themed cafe – Primark hasn’t missed a trick.
“We have a number of different types of experiences today depending on our store,” says Rodgers. “The Greggs that we’re sitting in right now is a Tasty by Greggs café and our first foray into that partnership was in Birmingham.
“It’s been absolutely fabulous working with the brand and it’s been brilliant to be able to bring a new concept to both Primark and Greggs.”
With other licensed cafe experiences including Shrek, SpongeBob, Hello Kitty and the Grinch, aligning with licensed collections being sold in store, Primark’s reputation for providing a unique experience for shoppers has been a golden nugget for the business.
“Customers love to come and have a break and a sit down when they’re shopping anyway but it’s also refreshed every few months. It’s about bringing that newness but into our food world too, that’s what’s different to what other retailers are doing.”
Rodgers is also keen to point out the success of its in-store beauty services such as nail and eyebrow treatments, something she likens to a service you’d find in a department store but done in the unique “Primark way”.
She adds: “Our stores have definitely evolved over the last number of years since we first started introducing experiences but ultimately they’re an additional offer on our core business day to day.
“The heart of Primark stays the same, which is having affordable fashion for everyone, and nothing’s going to change that core. At the same time, we want to make the shopping experience something exciting for customers.”
Going further than fashion
While Primark certainly prides itself on being a fashion favourite, since the launch of its home and beauty departments in 2008 and 2014 respectively, it has really made a name for itself across the sectors.
“From a standing start of having no beauty whatsoever, we have grown over the last 10 years and it’s a significant part of the business now,” says Rodgers.
She adds that being able to trust beauty brands, regardless of their position within the market, is essential and something that customers can rely on Primark for.
With an eye on its home offering, Primark certainly peaked at the right time. The home department grew slowly and steadily for Primark over the years, starting out with what Rodgers calls “basics” and now going as far as offering furniture.
Another area that’s booming is luggage, something Primark previously didn’t offer.
“Not that we always want to succeed off the back of the demise of other retailers,” says Rodgers, “but because there are less places to buy luggage on the high street, we’ve been able to fill that gap.”
Click-and-collect
With an eye on Primark’s most recent endeavour, Rodgers says everything at Primark is about what’s best for the shopper. With demands for its click-and-collect service to be readily available far and wide, the retailer is aiming to offer the service across its whole store estate by the end of 2025.
Rodgers explains that the click-and-collect journey started in 2022 with a trial across childrenswear in what the business saw as a fairly safe bet, however, it was introducing womenswear to the service that really changed the game for Primark.
“Everyone loves a bit of online purchasing so we saw a massive uplift in customer response from the womenswear element being added.
“What we’ve seen is that our model isn’t ever going to have a transactional website – well, never say never, but our current thinking is that the current click-and-collect model works because it drives footfall into stores.
“That’s the bit where we are 100% committed to our physical shops and 100% committed to the high street. It’s about how we get convenience for customers while also offering the physical shopping experience.
“There’s nothing better than going shopping physically and seeing, feeling and experiencing something catch your eye. It’s like an occasion.”
A look ahead
While it’s been nothing short of a success story for Primark, the million-dollar question is what’s next for the business and how its going to continue to level up over the next 50 years and beyond.
“Ultimately what we’re going to be doing is continuing to understand what sorts of things resonate with customers,” says Rodgers.
“From a collaboration perspective, there are other things we will be looking at. We like to try something small, monitor the reaction and then go back in.
“There’s not going to be a huge evolution in how we do things but we try, we learn and then understand how and where it’s going to work.
“Our core isn’t going to change. That affordable fashion for everyone is the bit that we’re always going to come back to.”
Rodgers says she is excited for the next 50 years and the overall feeling is that Primark will continue being the reliable core retailer consumers need and want it to be while also bringing more surprises along the way.
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