Primark: Do You Get What You Pay For?
November 13th, 2007
I was wondering through Primark earlier today, and although I knew it was cheap, I was still astonished by the prices of the clothes in there.
For example, you can get a reasonable looking winter coat for £17, smart shirts for £4, 6 pairs of black socks for just £2 (you’d never need to wash them, just buy new ones!), and most astonishingly, a full dinner suit (jacket & trousers) plus a shirt and bow tie, all for just over £30. Granted, you might sometimes have to dig through the European jumper mountain to find something that fits, but it’s got to be worth the price, hasn’t it?
Unfortunately, the thought is that at these prices, they’re going to fall apart on the first wash, or even worse the colour’s going to come out of them and ruin all your other washing.
So here’s a question - if you’ve ever shopped at Primark, is it a false economy? Do the clothes fall apart within a few weeks, or become mishaped after their first wash, or are they just plain and simple great value for money?
An inside source (well, friend of a friend) reckons that some of the items of stock are Marks & Spencer rejects, although for what reason, and whether this is a good or bad thing, I’m not sure.
Let us know in the comments your experience of Primark clothing. I’m also planning on doing my own research with a few purchases from there at the weekend.
Categories: Money Saving
3 Comments on “Primark: Do You Get What You Pay For?”
Stuart, November 13th, 2007 at 11:24 am
My student experiences with primark have been that the clothes do last pretty well, certainly better than you’d think for the price, the only problem I had was the fit. I’m a pretty regularly shaped large male, and found that some of the clothes just didn’t ‘feel’ right. Apart from that its a bargain!
plonkee, November 13th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
I pretty much agree with Stuart. For the money, the clothes hold up pretty well - certainly as good as slightly more expensive clothes.
The downside is usually one or both of the fit, or the ‘feel’ of the fabric. I had a nice fleece from there with a surprisingly tight neckline, and a pair of yoga sweats that would be too short on anyone else I know.
The Primark Appreciation Society / UK Personal finance blog and money information, tips and links / Money Watch, November 13th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
[...] post on whether buying clothes from Primark is a false economy has had a couple of replies (thanks Stuart & Plonkee) - both suggesting that the quality [...]
