From the 2020 Annual Report

In March this year all of Primark’s 375 stores across 12 operating markets were closed due to COVID-19. This unprecedented event did not stop us working behind the scenes, to manage the store closure impacts and to get the business ready for when we would be able to reopen and welcome customers back to our stores.

From April when governments began to confirm reopening dates, a huge effort was already underway to ensure extensive measures would be in place to help safeguard employees and customers when our doors reopened. Those measures closely followed all safety advice from local governments, treating such guidance as the minimum standard. They included strict social distancing measures, personal protection for colleagues and customers and increased in-store cleaning.

All of Primark’s stores reopened over May, June and July including the opening of 153 stores in one day, on 15 June, in England. At the time, Primark CEO, Paul Marchant, said: “As we reopen Primark, nothing matters more than the health and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers. We have looked closely at what has been working across the retail industry and we are following all safety advice from governments to help keep people safe in our stores”.

In addition to messaging throughout our stores, Primark’s windows and social media sites were emblazoned with welcome back messaging including: ‘We Missed You’; ‘Take Care, Stay Safe’; and ‘To Our Life-Saving Health Workers There Are No Words – Just Love’.

Primark also sent thank you messages out to store colleagues acknowledging the commitment, strength and resilience they had shown through such challenging times. Paul Marchant said: “I am particularly proud of the incredible volunteer effort by hundreds of our employees across the globe who coordinated and delivered care packs with over 450,000 everyday items to support frontline workers and patients during the pandemic.”

The care we took in both the measures we put in place and in communicating them to our customers, media and local, regional and national government representatives were welcomed by the communities in which we trade. A number of stakeholders, including Mayors and MPs, visited new and reopened stores, commending the Primark team on the extensive safety measures put in place.

In addition, the UK government invited Primark to showcase our safety measures through a video and written case study to promote the safe reopening of retail stores around the country. On reopening days there were queues outside most of our stores and customers were excited to see us back trading again. We welcomed them back with our appealing, value-for-money offering in a safe store environment and were pleased to receive positive feedback about our safety measures.