// Primark Cares promises to make sustainable clothing affordable to all
// Plans for a digital upgrade but not an ecommerce offering were also confirmed
Primark’s chief executive Paul Marchant has reassured consumers that the fast fashion retailer’s new sustainability strategy ‘Primark Cares’ will not “put prices up” instore.
Earlier this year, Primark committed to the new strategy with a 10-year target of making all of its clothes using recycled or more sustainably-sourced material by 2030, promising the move would make sustainable clothing affordable to all.
Approximately 25 per cent of Primark’s clothes are currently made from recycled or more sustainable materials.
Speaking at the opening of this year’s Drapers Fashion Forum Marchant emphasised that product prices will not be increased, as work on the new Primark Cares sustainability strategy gets underway.
“I think what the launch [of Primark Cares] did was raise the game in the eyes of the consumer, but also for us as a business,” Drapers reported.
“We don’t have all the answers, but we have a real drive and ambition. Giving our customers and new customers the opportunity to make more sustainable choices at Primark is key. The key is to make sustainable clothing affordable to people.
“We aren’t becoming more expensive. We haven’t put any like for likes up, and we don’t want to put the prices up. We want to maintain that aggressive price proposition. We realise sustainability is something we need to invest in, and we’re not afraid to invest.”
READ MORE:
- Primark drops “big hint” it could soon launch ecommerce offering
- Primark eyes new store openings as profits reach £415m
Marchant also spoke about the importance of meeting targets by working with suppliers and other organisations.
“We can’t do it alone, and we do need to work in collaboration. It’s the right thing to do, as we’re a volume business. We’re not ashamed, we’re proud of that.”
Hints of plans to move Primark’s online offering to an ecommerce site were also squashed by Marchant, who did confirm that an updated website will be launched in early 2022.
“We have a website that isn’t anywhere near the standard we want it to be. It will relaunch in spring next year, and it will showcase [more] product online. [But] right now our focus is on bricks and mortar, and it’s focused on digital upgrades – so no plans as yet for online.”
He continued: “I think driving people to store is absolutely an agenda we’re looking for with investment. We’re a business, and everyone in this room needs to evolve, and saying no to online and click and collect is the hardest thing we can do. But we’ve proved we can be profitable without it.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
