Primark

Chat about anything local that doesn't fit elsewhere!
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Richard
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Primark

Postby Richard » Sat Jul 07, 2018 4:39 pm

Primark was due to open in the Spring of this year but now will not open until next January - if at all.
Reasons for delays centre around unsuitable flooring / floor structure.
Also the rents are being hiked by the owners of Priory Meadow and Primark is rumoured to be walking away, or threatening to.

Not good!

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Derek Jempson
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Re: Primark

Postby Derek Jempson » Sun Jul 08, 2018 6:00 am

Looks as if I'll still be periodically dragged over to Eastbourne kicking and screaming then!

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ColinL
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Re: Primark

Postby ColinL » Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:10 am

Easy solution Derek; just don't shop in Primark.
Cheap clothing produced so that consumers in the 'West' can throw it away after a few uses

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Derek Jempson
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Re: Primark

Postby Derek Jempson » Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:38 am

I wouldn't shop in Primark, but the Mrs. Jempson goes all swivel-eyed whenever she gets near the place, and rational argument doesn't apply!

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seahermit
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Re: Primark

Postby seahermit » Sun Jul 08, 2018 9:12 am

No idea how Primark compares with other stores. I would welcome a decent clothing store in Hastings, cheap or otherwise, nothing much at present.

M&S used to be cheap and good quality but seem very different nowadays, everything vastly expensive and often poor. I tried on a pair of cord trousers - badly cut and a terrible fit. Ended up buying a pair of navy cords from Debenhams, half the price, excellent fit and smart.

I have bought several colouful things from Peacocks - cheap and cheerful yes, but good for the price and make the M&S stuff look very dowdy and dreary, everything navy or beige!

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Richard
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Re: Primark

Postby Richard » Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:12 am

Primark is an Irish Company which sources clothes from countries like China, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam where materials and labour costs are lower - so probably not ethically sourced?
I have to say I frequent Charity shops for some clothing items.
It is hard for me to know all the brand labels, some relate to supermarket goods, i.e. TU Cedarwood State and George, which one comes from which supermarket evades me.
I sometimes buy blouses for my mother (who is in a care home) and ask the charity shop what the labels mean in terms of who makes them and all the ladies know exactly which label is made by which company.
Women seem much more aware of all this and price the items according to the quality conferred by the label. Some even have charts on the wall to guide them in this.
Laura Ashley and Per Una (M&S) are more desirable than Bon Marche and they all know what is worth having / desirable. They also know which labels used to be good quality but are now in decline.

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seahermit
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Re: Primark

Postby seahermit » Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:01 am

As far as I am aware, they ALL source their clothes from China and South East Asia but presumably the buyers in the West acting for the more expensive clothing retailers demand higher standards of quality during the manufacture. Who knows? In the complicated web of multi-national business concerns, it is very difficult for any individual to know what is really going on or to be sure about whether sources of manufacturing are truly ethical or not. I certainly don't believe that national governments are fully aware of what happens across the other side of the world or are able to exert much influence.

What is very noticeable is that the general quality of clothing nowadays is often abysmal compared to the past. I used to sometimes go to retailers like Alexander, Hepworths, Dunns, Burtons (used to be quite an exclusive gent's outfitters) if I wanted a really nice worsted jacket or suit, I even bought a couple of things in the Strand when I happened to be wealthy! Those kind of shops have all gone of course - in Debenhams the vast majority of the men's suits are polyester, the cheapest, worst material ever for looking good and lasting for years.

I bought a pair of Wrangler cord jeans the other week in Debenhams - Wranglers used to be amongst the very top-rated brands and the corduroy was thick and of a lovely silky quality. These new cords are well-cut still and quite smart but painfully thin material, hardly warm enough for summer let alone winter!!

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Richard
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Re: Primark

Postby Richard » Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:39 pm

I thought that we were suddenly more concerned about both the fair remuneration in wages and employment conditions of people used to make our garments i.e. that poor people were not being used and abused in dangerous environments as cheap labour in sweat-shops of the sub-continent and that certain manufacturers could provide guarantees of this ethos.
In all reality nobody really cares as long as they can source cheap goods and you just can't source cheap clothing if you insist upon manufacturers paying fair wages for workers toiling in safe and healthy environments.
There lies the rub on one level, we simply don't know and cannot easily determine what exact conditions apply in the supply chain.
Plus clothing with certain 'labels' has status and snob appeal, fashion houses create a cult and some people are willing to pay over the odds for 'quality'.

Who really wants cheap and cheerful clothing labels from high street supermarkets when they can buy better quality from the manufacturers who can demand higher prices for better quality goods from superior manufacturing and styling designers?
Well obviously it is 'horses for courses'.

seahermit, if you want superior quality clothing and goods I think that 'Dunhill' still have high standards of quality of materials and styling but this all comes at a great price.

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seahermit
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Re: Primark

Postby seahermit » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:30 pm

I quite agree that the ethical sourcing ideal seems to have lost its way, nothing has changed greatly in the market place and stories still keep surfacing of big retailers obtaining their clothes from dubious sources and of working conditions being pretty dire. The local populations in some parts of the world are probably only too glad of any kind of work in order to survive - and prepared to work hard and tolerate arduous workplace conditions, but it ain't the point!

As for prestige fashion labels, a lot of it is a complete con. In places like Sports Direct sweatshirts, tee-shirts, trainers, even backpacks are indistinguishable from cheap brands but, with the Adidas or Nike logo on there, the price is hiked up threefold.

The same to some extent applies to women's clothes from fashion houses. At the top end you will probably see some real quality difference, but very often similar items without the fashion house label can be bought in many high street chains and stories about that have been in the media for years.

Men can still find really good guality clothes and even some of the old brand names still survive but it's very much an exclusive market! I still love walking covertously into traditional gent's
outfitters - there's one in Shaftesbury Avenue which does beatiful Harris Tweed jackets, worsted wool suits etc. I don't usually go in if I have just popped up for the day wearing a pair of jeans, you get some withering looks!

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seahermit
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Re: Primark

Postby seahermit » Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:40 pm

Tunbridge Wells has some extremely nice clothing retailers too. One or two places where you can get magnificent real sheepskin flying jackets or Crombie-style woollen overcoats. Or smart brown Italian leather evening jackets of a quality which make you think you really should get a better-paid job! Hmm, stop thinking about it ...


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