I know that a lot of people refuse to enter Primark. Maybe it's just that you don't ever like anything they have for sale, you don't believe in the ethics or you dont have one near you, but i've come to realise the main reason, is people just don't have the patience. Shopping is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, i certainly do it to unwind, de stress, a bit of retail therapy and a lot of shops offer this. Primark however, is mostly always CHAOS. Clothes on the floor in piles, shoes scattered everywhere, people packed in like sardines and sweating like fat men. It's mostly always a very unenjoyable experience, you go in, you grab, you scuttle, you fight, you queue for 20 minutes then you run outside for a breath of fresh air.
This was until me & mum were up early one weekend, and decided to go to Primark, only to discover how to make shopping in there enjoyable. So here is my run down of the things which equate to you having a somewhat more pleasant experience in the shop.
1. Find a Primark near you which is of a relatively good size.
There is a Primark closer to me than the one i visit, but in the nicest of terms...it's absolute crud. So me and mum actually drive 30 minutes down the motorway to a flagship store in Bristol (4 storeys high). You arent going to have as much fun if you aren't spoilt for choice. We only visit once a month, as it's obviously not the most convienient to get to. I find that if you go to Primark too much, it becomes boring. You want to be able to go and see completely different stock to the time before.
2. Get there early!
Oh, trust me, i know it's hard to get out of bed at 7am on a weekend, but it is totally worth it, and you are home by midday so can have a little snooze. The Primark in Bristol opens at 8.30 on a Saturday. So we were in the car by 7.55 and on our way. The Motorway was empty, the carpark was empty (we always get the perfect spot) and there was just nobody around. The thing i like most about going early, is that everything is perfectly in it's place, and new stock is normally out. The hangers all have the correct sized clothing on it (a primark faux pas) and its even in order of smallest to largest front to back. There is no mess. You also know what getting there early means, most importantly, there is hardly anyone there. Not everybody is crazy enough to be up so early on their weekend. In fact this morning, i think it was only me, my mum and about 2 other women. Perfect.
3. Don't use your "Primark Head".
Now, the "Primark Head" is what i call grabbing things and throwing them in your basket because "EVERYTHING IS JUST SO CHEAP". Since you pretty much have open reign of the shop, chill the hell out. Think about things a bit more, Will you wear it? What will it go with? Do you really need it?
4. Try things on.
I never used to try things on in Primark. The queues were always too long, there were too many people, it was too hot and i just could not be bothered. When in a pretty much empty shop, there is not so much pressure to leave and no queues. I really do like to try on most of the items i have aquired in my basket, and normally, to my surprise, sometimes they don't fit right (the size 8's have increased slightly) or they might look pants, so i can put them back knowing i made the right decision trying it on before buying it. It's also a good oppertunity for you to envisage what you might pair it with. Obviously if you live near a Primark, you can skip this and just return everything if that suits you more.
The good - Hareem Print Trousers - £11, Black slinky jumpsuit - £15 (I absolutely love this), Jumper - £9
The Bad - Both dresses were too big for me. Purple - £15, Navy Blue - £13
5. Check the quality and the Sizing.The quality in Primark really differs, there could be a lovely batch of dresses, but some could have wonky buttons and loose threads, and others might be okay. Make sure you have the best one available. The sizing is also a funny one, some fit bigger than they should, and others tighter. Again, another good reason for trying things on.
6. Leave Relaxed & Go For BreakfastAfter you have found what you want, paid (in the non queues), and left. You will find that it is just starting to get busy. (We left around 10.30/11am) and you can either jump back in your car and go home. Or, go have yourself a delicious breakfast like we did.
Then go home for a snooze and put away all your new bits and pieces... :)
♥
