Primark takes further step into online shopping with home deliveries

Primark has said it plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain, four years after it made its first foray into e-commerce.

The retailer said it had bought a fulfilment facility in Sheffield to enable it to ship products to homes.

Primark did not sell goods online until 2022, when it launched a click-and-collect service which meant shoppers still had to travel to pick up their purchases.

The company said there was "opportunity for profitable growth" through home deliveries, which could help boost trade after Primark reported subdued sales following the recent hot weather.

Associated British Foods (ABF), which owns Primark, said the fashion chain would "continue to grow Click and Collect and, having undertaken a detailed review, will in the future offer home delivery in Great Britain".

It did not say when it expects to launch the home delivery service.

ABF predicts Primark's UK sales will grow by about 1% in the fourth quarter of the year. But like-for-like sales - a key metric in the retail industry, which strips out the impact of store openings and closures - are expected to fall 3%.

It said sales of autumn/winter clothing started later than normal due to the hot weather in the summer, but "trading was stronger when the weather cooled towards the end of the quarter".

ABF is planning to spin off Primark from its food business next year.

The fast-fashion chain is struggling to compete with brands like Shein and Boohoo, as well as alternative platforms like TikTok Shop and Vinted.

In July, it said it was lowering prices on hundreds of clothing items.