Earlier this month, it was reported that clothes and homeware retailer Primark intends to launch a home delivery service. Following a summer sales period that did not meet the brand’s sales expectations, analysts say the move comes more from an attempt to meet challenges from cut-price digital retailers such as SHEIN than any particular enthusiasm for home delivery.
YouGov’s data backs this up. Offering online delivery may be one way to combat the threat from ecommerce giants. Data from YouGov Profiles/BrandIndex shows that 47% of Primark’s former customers say they shop either mostly or entirely online, compared to just 22% who shop mostly or entirely in person and 31% that shop equally online and offline.
While the balance differs among current customers (38% mostly /entirely online; 38%% equally online/in person; 24% mostly/entirely in person), among this group online shopping remains more popular than doing so in person.
Our data also shows the threat from SHEIN is real. One in six (16%) of Primark’s current customers shop there and a further 25% are thinking of doing so while among Primark’s former customers, 8% buy from SHEIN and 10% are considering it.
However, the data also suggest that Primark is also being challenged by other retailers with well-established home delivery operations. Three in ten (30%) of Primark’s current customers also shop at M&S and a further 46% are thinking of doing so. It is a similar story when it comes to Next, H&M and F&F Clothing.
So the other brands currently appealing to Primark’s customers are a mix of midmarket, value, and supermarket retailers – all brands that have taken different approaches to competitors such as SHEIN. Some have reduced prices, but others (such as H&M) have chosen to ‘elevate’ their brands with premium offerings rather than compete on affordability.
With such varied competition there is a question about what kind of retailer Primark will be as it moves into home delivery – will it look to compete with the likes SHEIN on price or other rivals on value and quality?
This article originally appeared in City A.M.
Methodology
YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Primark's scores are based on daily surveys of UK adults. Data is weighted by age, gender, region, social grade, and ethnicity using a raking methodology.
YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures use a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in Great Britain and weighted by age, gender, region, education, and social grade
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