M RahmanMarketing mix of Primark (7Ps of Primark)
This detailed analysis of the marketing mix of Primark examines the 7Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Process, People and Physical evidence) of Primark and explains the company’s business & marketing strategies. Primark is an Irish fast fashion retailer, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Its first store was opened in June 1969 under the name Penneys. It is one of the most famous and popular fashion and clothing brands in the UK.
Primark’s products
Primark’s key product lines are Women, Men, Kids, Baby, Home, and Beauty. Each product line has a big number of items and versions making the product mix very extensive. Primark’s product lines are closely related in terms of end use, and raw materials. It often adds new products to its existing product lines. Its wide offerings, and basic styles appeal to customers from different walks of life. However, it is worth mentioning that many people do not see Primark as a retailer of ‘quality clothing’.
Pricing strategy of Primark
Primark targets value seeking customers and promises them to keep up with the latest looks without breaking the bank (Primark Stores Limited, 2020). It offers amazingly affordable prices that attract millions of customers. This is because of the economies of scale and the production of items in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and China. However, as stated above, many customers are critical of the quality of Primark’s products. Lower prices do not often appeal to affluent customers.
Place/distribution channels of Primark
The products of Primark are available in over 370 stores in twelve countries across Europe and the United States. The biggest store is situated in Birmingham, the UK. Primark does not sell anything online. However, as consumer behaviour is rapidly changing and unexpected incidents such as economic lockdowns are happening, Primark should consider selling online. Otherwise, it is going to fall behind the competitors. It is worth noting that some third parties have been seen reselling Primark’s products on e-commerce sites. Therefore, the retailer has warned customers not to buy its products from any third parties online as they are likely to pay higher prices for the items than in store (BBC, 2019).
Promotional strategy of Primark
The biggest and perhaps the most effective promotional strategy of Primark is word of mouth. Satisfied customers spread the name of the retailer around resulting in more customers being drawn to it. Likewise, Primark uses social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest extensively and gets millions of likes and shares online in short periods of time. Its contributions to social causes also work very positively in image building. In partnership with UNICEF in 2018, Primark committed to spend $4.5 million to support an education programme to help vulnerable children attend and stay in school in Cambodia.
Processes in Primark
Different activities of Primark have different processes. For instance, customers will have to go to Primark stores to buy anything. Likewise, they need to stay in queues to pay for their purchases. Primark’s products are often produced Asia and then brought back to Europe and the USA where its stores are.
People of Primark
Primark has over 70,00 employees. It also contributes to the employment of 700,000 workers who work for its suppliers. However, Primark, has been accused of neglect particularly, because of the safety issues and working conditions in some of its suppliers. Rana Plaza where a supplier to Primark was located, took less than 90 seconds to collapse killing over 1100 people in Bangladesh in 2013 (Safi and Rushe, 2018). Though Primark paid a total of over $14 million in aid and compensation, it raises a big question of its criteria of selecting suppliers.
Physical evidence of Primark
The last element of the marketing mix of Primark is the physical evidence. Primark stores are usually very massive and multi-levelled. However, narrow aisles in some stores are inconvenient for some customers. Primark has a nice website which is very user friendly as well.
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Last update: 04 September 2020
References:
BBC (2019) Primark warns shoppers not to buy its products online, available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50058594 (accessed 02 September 2020)
Primark Stores Limited (2020) About us, available at: https://www.primark.com/en/aboutus (accessed 03 September 2020)
Safi, M. and Rushe, D. (2018) Rana Plaza, five years on: safety of workers hangs in balance in Bangladesh, available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/apr/24/bangladeshi-police-target-garment-workers-union-rana-plaza-five-years-on (accessed 31 August 2020)
Author: M Rahman
M Rahman writes extensively online and offline with an emphasis on business management, marketing, and tourism. He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. He holds an MSc in Tourism & Hospitality from the University of Sunderland. Also, graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Business & Management Studies and completed a DTLLS (Diploma in Teaching in the Life-Long Learning Sector) from London South Bank University.
