Primark

I love love Primark! I wish we had one in Seattle! My sister has sent me gifts from here for years since she moved to the UK and I was finally able to step into a physical location while visiting recently. The place was pretty busy on a Friday afternoon (we knew better than to try to come on a Saturday), but I definitely came out of there with 2 huge bags filled to the top! I got sweaters, pajamas, an umbrella, a scarf, some house goods, gifts for others, etc and I think I only spent about £70 total. There are multiple levels here and it’s better to just give yourself plenty of time to peruse all of the aisles and racks as best you can. I was so glad we spent as much time as we did there and I also found a £10 ugly Christmas jumper to wear to a party in December, haha! Next time I’m in town, I will absolutely come back to Primark!

Really easy to find and right by a car park too. Good shoes and accessories selection and half the people queuing to pay compared to bigger stores.

Primark Kingston upon Thames is easy to find in the centre of town. It’s always packed out with customers from all age groups and they all seem to come out having brought something given the number of carrier bags you see coming out. More than just clothing it also sells bedding and other home items all, again at great prices. Menswear is now in the basement and takes up a tiny proportion of the space that women get but its fine for the basics (which is what many men only ever wear!) M&S is not far away if you want a higher quality.

I’m aware that I sometimes use these reviews as a bit of a confessional: Primark is a typical case in point. It’s definitely a bit of a guilty secret for me (secret rather than pleasure…). The guilt comes in on two levels — first: because I wonder about how their items are produced, when they sell them so cheaply, and second: because it’s so easy to become lured into buying items you don’t really need. Throw-​away fashion and all that! I could launch into a whole debate about a consumer society but it’s probably not the time or place…
The upside of their stock, besides the accessibility of their prices, is the up-​to-​the-​minute, bang-​on-​trend styling. The downsides are often the finish, the attention to detail (hardly surprising) and the way that sizes can vary greatly from one garment to another (even in the same style). Also, be aware that when they do produce a really ‘hot’ style you’ll have to move fast or they’ll fly-​off the shelves before you can reach them.