Primark click and collect stores: could some of the 25 outlets due to take part in the trial be in Manchester?

Primark has announced new plans to bring click and collect services to its stores across the country.

The high street chain was founded in 1969 and has never ventured into the online retail world until now.

Primark has previously said that they would not because it would not be able to keep prices for its clothing as low if it offered home delivery.

However, in a recent announcement the high street giant said that it would begin trials for click and collect service at 25 stores across the North West of England.

This comes after the company had a huge revamp of its UK website in April in order to give shoppers better insight into their in-store ranges of clothes and accessories, with the hopes of encouraging customers to come and browse the full collection in stores.

Associated British Foods (ABF), the parent company of Primark, said its new website saw online traffic rise by around 60%.

So, will one of the Primark’s in Manchester do click and collect?

Here’s everything you need to know about the potential service.

How many Primarks are in Manchester?

While there is no official list of the stores that will be included in the trial, there are five Primark stores across Greater Manchester, which would suggest a strong chance of the trial being run at one of these stores.

What will be available for click and collection?

Customers won’t be able to order the full range on store but will be able to choose from around 2,000 items online.

This amounts to around only 40% of the full range across Primark. The items will include nursery furniture, clothing multipacks and licensed products, such as Disney T-shirts.

George Weston, who is the chief executive of Primark’s parent company ABF, spoke on the range available: "What you will never see is the entire Primark range available for click and collect, nor any of it available for home delivery”

"We are using online selling for click and collecting very selectively," he added.

"When they come into their local Primark store if they’ve purchase online, then we hope they will buy something else while they are in store as well."

Why are Primark offering click and collect services?

The move is an attempt to improve footfall for their high street stores, and encourage more customers to visit their store and full range of items.

A spokesperson for ABF gave an update stating: “We have chosen a much-expanded range of children’s products for this trial, which we believe has the potential to satisfy unfulfilled demand, driving footfall from both existing and new customers to deliver incremental sales in store.”

"Our average-size stores are only able to stock a limited range and for these customers the number of options available to them will broadly double, increasing even more for customers of our small stores," said a spokesperson for ABF.

"This trial will enable us to provide more fashion, licence and lifestyle products to more customers and more often."

How will the click and collect work?

A Primark spokesperson said that shoppers would be able to immediately try on items they had ordered online in designated collection areas and pick up additional items from the store if they wished.

Click-and-collect, and in-store returns, will also be offered free as part of the trial.

What does this mean for high street stores?

Many high street brands have struggled with many people opting to shop online, as well as the recent coronavirus pandemic affecting the way people shop.

However, John Bason, finance director at Primark’s parent company ABF, said he is confident that the High Street does have a future.

"Even though we were closed probably six months for the two main years of the pandemic, our customers have come back to us. That I think is very very striking," he said.

"So no, I think the demise of the High Street is way overstated, but it is changing. There’s no doubt over it."

How long will the trial last?

George Weston, the chief executive of ABF, said the trial was about giving customers more reason to shop in stores.

He said the company would test out the idea for several months and, if it proved to bring in additional sales, could take it outside the north-west or add other product categories.