Primark

Primark is a subsidiary company of the ABF (Associated British Foods) Group. The company launched in 1969 in Ireland trading as Penny's. By 2000, there were over 100 Primark stores across Britain and Ireland. By 2012 Primark had 238 branches across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

Primark offers innovative, fashionable clothes at value-for-money prices. Like many retail fashion businesses, Primark does not manufacture goods itself: it works with its suppliers to produce goods to Primark’s specification. Primark relies on low costs, economies of scale and efficient distribution to maintain its competitive market position.

• Edition 20 Beyond corporate social responsibilityThis corporate responsibility case study looks at Primark’s involvement in the HERproject (Health Enables Returns) which is raising awareness and delivering healthcare education to female workers in supplier countries.
  1. Introduction
  2. What is CSR?
  3. Why Primark embraces CSR
  4. Making CSR happen
  5. The value of the HERproject
  6. Conclusion
• Edition 16 Engaging with stakeholdersThis stakeholders case study looks at how Primark engages with some of its key external stakeholders.
  1. Introduction
  2. What is a stakeholder?
  3. Trade unions and civil society groups
  4. Workers and communities
  5. Customers and shareholders
  6. Conclusion
• Edition 15 Providing consumers with ethically sourced garmentsThis ethics case study shows how Primark sources the clothes it sells in its shops in an ethical and fair way, often at added cost to itself.
  1. Introduction
  2. What are business ethics?
  3. Ethics in practice
  4. Why take an ethical approach?
  5. The costs of ethical behaviour
  6. Conclusion