Primark, the Dublin-based budget-minded fashion retailer, on Monday launched its first-ever brand campaign in the U.S., titled “That’s So Primark.”
Primark‘s campaign reflects confidence in its U.S. expansion, which has been steady since 2015 when the retailer opened its first store in the States, a flagship in downtown Boston. Currently, there are 25 stores in the U.S., with the next opening set for the Florida Mall in Orlando on Aug. 29. Primark has targeted having 60 stores operating in the U.S. by 2026, as previously reported.
Primark is well-known in Europe, but in the U.S. lacks much awareness. The Irish retailer in the U.S. has essentially relied on word-of-mouth, discounts off its already low prices to support sales, and an ongoing collaboration with singer Rita Ora — that is, until now.
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“Primark is still relatively unknown in the U.S., so we want to spread the word to savvy shoppers that they don’t need to sacrifice style if they’re on a budget,” Michelle McEttrick, global chief customer officer for Primark, said in a statement Monday. She said the retailer offers “head-turning statement pieces” and everyday wardrobe essentials.
The campaign, created in partnership with creative agency VCCP, features two 30-second spots. One, titled “Window with a View,” shows close-ups of two women peering into a store window and getting closer and closer until their faces smash into glass, and a full image comes into view. The women stand side-by-side before a Primark store, admiring the styles behind the window, and are joined by other women looking at the outfits. The second film, titled “Fall Again,” shows a woman shopping Primark, “as she spins around the aisles” selecting items.
That campaign covers connected TV, streaming ads, digital, social, radio, and out-of-home media. The company would not disclose the cost of the new campaign.
“Primark is unlike any other shopping experience, and it’s about time more U.S. shoppers got a taste of that,” Brett Edgar, chief executive officer of VCCP U.S., said in a statement. “We wanted to show American consumers what the hype is all about across the pond, and that they don’t have to settle during their shopping experience.”
Primark typically aims for sites with roughly 35,000 square feet of selling space, 50,000 square feet gross. But as Kevin Tulip, the president of Primark U.S. and a 22-year veteran of the company, told WWD last March, “We’re continuing to keep an open mind about other opportunities. With trial and testing, we will continue to push the boundaries of what Primark can look like. We’re still very early in this expansion journey in the U.S. and I certainly don’t want to stop ourselves from pushing on.”
The stores are filled with dresses in the $12 to $30 range, women’s denim jeans priced $18 to $22, bikini tops for $7 to $9, kids’ hoodies priced $7 to $20, and kids’ backpacks priced $12 to $20, among the large array of fashion items at low prices.
Primark sees an opening in the already crowded field of mass merchants, off-pricers and value-oriented department stores. Considering its offer and what’s been accomplished so far with the expansion, Primark is beginning to grab some market share from the likes of Old Navy, Walmart, Target and The Children’s Place, as well as off-pricers.
Owned by Associated British Foods, Primark sells women’s, men’s and kids’ fashion, as well as beauty, homeware and accessories. Primark has more than 445 stores globally and aims to reach 530 stores by the end of 2026.
