As Prada Mark makes its way to Ealing...

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Cut-price fashion fans defy you not to follow suit

“The only problem I can see is that I'll never be able to walk down my street without seeing other women in 'my' dress ”

Savvy shoppers have been going there for years, but the secret is out and what's more the shop is about to be on our doorstep.

After the initial joy of Primark's arrival in Ealing wears off, this may prove to be bad news for Primark addicts wanting to retain some individuality to their wardrobe. But it should go some way to reassuring all those Ealing residents that are worried Primark will lower the tone.

The word on the street is that it is no longer unfashionable to spend less money on your wardrobe, and spend in Ealing Broadway they will. You only have to read what the fashionistas are saying about the high street brand to know that this shop is going to be an incredible pull for people who would once rather have travelled miles than adorn themselves with anything Ealing has to offer.

Yes, it's cheap, but where Beales was criticised for taking its style tips from the seventies, Primark is now leading the way for the next generation, and it won't break parents' banks to let them spend there (if they haven't already snatched up the best items themselves...)

Even the Daily Mail is a fan:

'Launched in 1969, in Dublin, Primark's bargain-basement collections were, for many years, the ugly duckling of Planet Style, with trendy offerings from Topshop, Zara and Oasis proving far more attractive to style-conscious shoppers.
But the chain, which currently operates 135 stores in the UK, Spain and Ireland (where it trades under the Penneys brand), is no longer the poor relation of its high street sisters, and has blossomed into a veritable swan, gliding seamlessly through the choppy waters of the retail business.'

And the BBC has commented on its popularity of late, noting in a business article:
'It scooped one of the major prizes at the High Street fashion awards this autumn, and its low-cost, high-fashion clothing has even appeared in the fashion bible Vogue.
These days, according to Grazia magazine's Paula Read, even fashion editors can be found comparing notes on Primark's latest offerings.'

"I find fashion editors in Milan talking about, oh did you see what Primark had in Hammersmith last week, which is kind of extraordinary," she told the BBC reporter.

The flip side of the great prices are the accusations of a poor human rights record. In 2005 Primark scored just 3.5 out of 20 on an ethical index of leading clothing chains, although it should be noted that marks & Spencer fared no better, being ranked third worst for ethics by Ethical Consumer magazine.

The Primark group recently signed an international trade agreement, stating that they do not use child labour or sweatshops. The subject has already made its way onto the EalingToday forum and is likely to continue in the coming months as we await the Primark grand opening early in the new year.

So does the news of Primark's descent on Ealing hit the mark with you ? Here are some thoughts from EalingToday subscribers...

“I'm chuffed to bits. Primark's fantastic – you have to go there regularly to wade through the less desirables, but you're sure to bag yourself a stunner.
Clothes I've bought for the kids, and staples like t-shirts I've bought for myself are some of the oldest items in my wardrobe. And as for the house stuff – I've had so many comments about a fantastic pair of candles in my living room and they cost 50 pence each! To all the skeptics I say give it a go for a couple of months – you'll change your minds. Ultimately, it's very purse friendly. I don't know anybody who doesn't shop in Primark on the sly. The shop has improved. It's become less of a rummaging through a car boot sale feel – they've paid more attention to detail – less like a bargain bonanza. The act of shopping there doesn't take away from the shopping experience anymore." Cathy Kelly

"I agree (the Beales closure) is a shame but I don't know why people are so anti-Primark. When they opened a store at Marble Arch, thousands of shoppers attended the opening. I'd rather see a shop on the site that brings in business to the whole area rather than have a boarded up site.
 
"To be truthful, how many of us actually bought items at Beales on a regular basis??? Competition from smaller shops and the internet will see the closure of many other shops unless we support them." David Archer

"Primark in Hammersmith is always full and the bus back full of Primark bag toters.
I've been once and was impressed that I could kit out 16-yr-old son for whole summer for £40.
And then I had second thoughts...how can they possibly do this stuff this cheap without seriously exploiting vulnerable foreign workers? A couple of days later the revelation that they were accused of paying 4pence an hour surfaced.
I don't want cheap clothes at any price and am therefore unlikely to go back." Sara Nathan

 

Charlie Canniff

September 12, 2007