London — Primark to Launch UK Home Delivery as Shoppers Shift Online

Primark plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain, according to BBC News, ending a holdout that persisted even through pandemic store closures. The retailer has not said when the service will begin but has bought a warehouse in Sheffield to ship products to customers' homes, the BBC reports.

What is Primark changing about online shopping?

Until now, Primark has kept shoppers tied to physical stores. Even when the Covid-19 pandemic shut retail locations nationwide, the chain did not offer a way to buy online, per the BBC. In 2022 it introduced click-and-collect, but customers still had to travel to pick up orders. The new home-delivery plan, tied to the Sheffield warehouse purchase, would be the company's first full online retail channel in Britain.

Why do shoppers say they avoid stores?

The BBC interviewed several women who say they do most or all of their clothes shopping online already. Jess Bacon, a 29-year-old culture journalist from Peterborough, told the BBC that in-store sizing is unreliable for plus-size shoppers like her. "The sizing in store is notoriously bad. I find it quite demoralising in store," she said, adding that "the average size woman in the UK is a size 14 or a size 16" and that "a lot of people just don't feel seen or represented." Bacon said online shopping is "much quicker than going into a store, paying for parking, trying things on," and that returning items by post feels like less hassle than in-store returns.

Julia Mitchell, 32, who lives near Chichester, told the BBC she finds in-person clothes shopping overstimulating and prefers online prices. "I basically never go into them [clothes shops]. It's not really something I enjoy," she said, though she still buys books in person because "bookshops are cultural spaces and community spaces."

Sandra Davies, 61, of Sheffield, has had three strokes and told the BBC that standing and walking in stores is too physically demanding. "I've tried it on two occasions but on both times, standing in a queue for over 10 minutes was too much for me and I collapsed," she said.

How big is the shift to online retail?

Online sales accounted for 27.3% of all UK retail sales in August, up from 18.1% in August 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics, cited by the BBC. The pandemic accelerated a trend already under way before 2020.

Why has Primark resisted online sales until now?

The BBC reports that analysts link Primark's shift to pressure from ultra-fast-fashion competitors such as Shein, which operate primarily online. Primark had previously relied on its physical footprint, including stocking plus-size ranges up to a size 22 in many stores — a range Bacon said makes Primark one of the few High Street retailers where plus-size shoppers can currently buy clothes in person.

What happens next?

Primark has not set a launch date for the delivery service, according to the BBC. The Sheffield warehouse purchase signals the infrastructure is being built, but the company has given no timeline for when British shoppers will be able to order clothing for home delivery rather than visiting a store or using click-and-collect.