We told you so!
Look good, pay less?
During Fairtrade Fortnight 2007 People & Planet groups targeted Primark, drawing shoppers’ attention to the true cost of their clothes.
We chose Primark as our target because of:
Clear evidence that Primark was failing to live up to its ethical commitments. Read reports and news items on Primark.
Primark’s role as a driver, and figurehead, of ‘fast fashion’. In recent years, Primark’s reputation for cheap clothes has enabled its rapid expansion in terms of store openings, market share, and increases in profits. It has fuelled a trend that is driving down prices and working conditions throughout the retail sector.
Our influence as young people — Primark’s target market.
Primark’s recent membership of the ETI. We wanted to challenge it to use its membership for active change, rather than as a cosmetic exercise.
Action
P&Pers protested outside stores in six cities drawing shoppers’ attention to the true cost of their clothes, collecting hundreds of signatures from shoppers and reaching an even wider audience through the press coverage they generated. Read more
Outcomes
A Primark spokesman conceded that disclosing the company’s supply chain was “an issue we might have to look at in the future.” After an exchange of letters Primark’s owners Associated British Foods asked for a meeting to discuss the campaign. It was clear that the campaign had been noticed - in the meeting we were told that AB Foods was receiving a steady stream of emails from campaigners, and that its Board had asked for a report. Unfortunately, Primark’s efforts to improve conditions appear to be focused on auditing to assess conditions rather than meaningful efforts to challenge the causes of poor working conditions.
Keeping up the pressure: Protesters say “Pants to Primark!” at new store opening in Liverpool in September
Since then stories of poor working conditions in their supply chain have continued to hit the headlines, highlighting the need for further change.
Until this happens, the pressure is still on. A new store opening in Liverpool in September provoked a day of protest, and together with our partners we will be keeping up the pressure with a December postcard campaign, targeting four of the UK’s most important clothing retailers. Order your campaign materials now!
Read more about Primark
- Article on Primark in the Clean Up Fashion 2007 Update, which evaluates what progress high street retailers are making towards improving conditions in their supply chains.
- The Sweatshop high street. More brands under fire, The Guardian, Karen McVeigh, 3 September, 2007
- Asda, Tesco and Primark accused over clothing factories, The Guardian, Karen McVeigh, 16 July, 2007
Press for P&P’s action
- Stores go to war as fairtrade booms, Observer, 25 February 2007, Lucy Siegle
- Who’s the real fashion victim?, Daily Mail, 29 April 2007, Andrea Thompson
Fairtrade Fortnight
During Fairtrade Fortnight, P&P groups across the country ran events to raise awareness of the high human and environmental cost behind high street clothing. On 10 March, our National day of action, 14 groups took action outside Primark shops. The action got wide national media coverage, however Primark failed to respond. People & Planet activists kept up the pressure by persistently emailing Primark, with the result that P&P were invited to meet Primark to discuss their efforts to improve conditions in their factories. (See outcomes above).
P&P’s correspondence with Primark
- Read our initial letter to Primark and Primark’s reply
- Read our second letter and Primark’s reply
- Read our most recent letter to Primark.