Primark is trialling a new initiative in its Manchester and Birmingham stores.
As well as selling its value-for-money new clothes, it has a section with heavy-duty garment rails displaying vintage clothing, including famous brands like Levi and Nike, as well as non-branded second-hand clothing.
The project is a partnership with the Vintage Wholesale Company and part of Primark’s commitment to extending the life of clothes. Primark’s head of innovation and future trends, Jermaine Lapwood said:
“We want to see clothes loved for longer and kept in circulation – we’ve got big plans within our own business to give clothes a longer life, and we’re thrilled to be supporting an independent business who is working to do this.”
Primark plans to open vintage clothing sections in twenty of its stores by the end of 2022. The company has pledged to make all its branded clothing sustainable by 2030, without increasing prices. As a step towards this goal, in 2023, all its basic T-shirts will be made from sustainably sourced cotton.
Primark also has a Greggs branch in its Birmingham store and sells Greggs branded hoodies. There is a Central Perks Friends Café in Primark’s Manchester store.
Like Primark, other leading fashion brands are surviving difficult trading conditions by diversifying and forming partnerships with other brands. For example, Joules has partnered with M&S to sell Joules branded clothing in M&S stores and online. Their website has a marketplace for third-party sellers to sell clothing and gifts.
