Why I Don't Shop at Primark

Why I Don't Shop at Primark

My shopping habits have come up as a topic of conversation for me several times recently between friends, family and my boyfriend. Well, more specifically about the change in my shopping habits. Over the past couple of years I have been following along with more fashion Instagrammers and YouTubers such as Emma Hill, Dearly Bethany and Victoria McGrath (InTheFrow). All three of them have really altered my mindset when it comes to what clothes I buy and where I buy those clothes from. And when I say changed, I definitely mean for the better, both for me AND the environment. Emma is all about sustainable clothing materials. Bethany supports small independent brands. Victoria has introduced me to the world of luxury fashion.

In this post I'm going to touch on some of the main reasons why I've decided to change my shopping habits and why I think you should do the same thing.

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So the first thing that shocks people when my shopping habits are discussed is how I can justify buying high-end or luxury brand's clothing, accessories and beauty/skincare products when I'm an undergraduate student in London. Well, I've been incredibly fortunate to have been able to live at home with my parents, practically rent free, for the entirety of my degree. That, along with not participating in typical student nights out, has saved me several thousand pounds. I also have a regular weekly income from teaching. 

That's how I've been financially able to make the change in my shopping habits. Now for WHY I changed them...

REASONS I DON'T SHOP AT PRIMARK

When I used to shop in Primark, I would be shocked by the number of people that were walking around the store with trolley baskets just throwing item after item in without really even thinking about it. They never stopped to genuinely pick out clothing items that they loved and wanted to cherish, it was all simply because all the items were £10 or under so it seemed like a bargain.

1. The Shopping Experience

Walking into Primark on Oxford Street can only be compared to the stereotypical scenes of stores opening on the day of Black Friday sales. Everyone seems determined to buy as much cheap clothing  as possible and find all the best deals in a single visit. It's a stressful experience and usually incredibly crowded. There is no customer service whatsoever and the amount of stock is actually really overwhelming when you take a step back and look around.

When I used to shop at Primark, I literally felt like they were just taking my money without caring about me as a customer, their products or anything really. My first designer purchase was a pair of Kurt Geiger boots in 2017. I decided to go into store because I was so exciting to be able to buy my first luxury item. O M G the customer service was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I was one of only 3 other active customers (buying not browsing) in the store so I literally had my own sales assistant for the duration of my time in the store. He made me feel welcome and the whole time, my experience was so personal. I WANTED to give them my money. I WANTED to rep their brand by wearing their shoes all day everyday because I was so happy a) with the boots themselves and b) with the whole experience of buying them. I had the same experience at Michael Kors when buying a bag and also the other day in Sunglass Hut when buying a pair of designer sunglasses. It wasn't a one off at Kurt Geiger... every time I go to a designer store, the customer service is impeccable, the stores are clean, spacious and quiet and the products are always the highest quality. 

2. Cheap, low-quality clothing and Mass Consumerism is bad for the environment

We're all a part of a throw-away culture. Brands like Primark have enabled people to spend their money on cheap, low-quality clothing items. If you walk into Primark with one item in mind that you want/need, the chances of you walking out again with more than that one item is incredible high. In a report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, it was found that with an increase in clothing sales over the last 2 decades, clothing utilisation (the number of times a clothing item is worn/used before it is thrown away) has decreased. This MUST be due to cheap clothing allowing people to buy multiple items that they don't actually need or have use for.

For me, I would much rather invest in, for example, a designer handbag costing £200+ than a £15 bag from Primark that will be falling apart after only a few uses. Yes in that moment where you buy the bag, spending £15 might seem nicer than £300 but in the long term, the cost per use will end up being very similar. I bought a Michael Kors bag at the end of January this year and have worked out that already, within only 2 months of owning the bag, the cost per use is little over £3. Because of the quality of the bag compared to cheaper, high street alternatives, I can see myself having this bag for maybe another 10 years, if not more, meaning the cost of this single bag would be virtually the same as replacing a cheap bag with another cheap bag year on year. Not only is it nicer to cherish and invest in a luxury item, but in this instance it is also nicer for the environment. From me buying this one bag, I have potentially saved 10 handbags from being put into landfill over the next decade. Just think, if everyone reduced the number of items they bought, not necessarily turning to designer and luxury goods, but just simply reducing their consumption of cheap, low-quality goods with minimal usage lives, imagine how much less would be going into landfill...

3. Materials

Following on from cheap clothing being bad for the environment due to it forming our throw-away culture, it is also bad for the environment because of what it is made of. I can't even tell you have many times I have obsessed over pieces of clothing but have been unable to buy them. The reason I couldn't buy them? The composition. 100% Polyester? No thank you. a) It's an impractical material to use for many items of clothing because it doesn't breathe... you're essentially wrapping yourself in plastic. b) Every time you wash a piece of clothing that contains plastic of any kind, whether that be Acrylic or Polyester, it releases plastic microfibres into the water systems that eventually end up in our oceans. 

Knowing point b means I can't bring myself to buy polyester clothing and any clothing I have that does contain acrylic or polyester, I find myself wearing less and less. 

Whenever I'm looking for new clothing items, the first thing I look for when I find something I like is what it's made of. Viscose = good. Wool = good. Cotton = good. Emma Hill was the person who introduced me to this way of thinking. She is very much a natural material advocate and I love her for that. Her style is very similar to mine so whatever so wears, I know that I will both like it and not feel bad buying it on her recommendation as it won't be bad for the environment. 

Maybe you could take a bit of time yourself to check what clothes are made of before buying them and consciously try to choose products that are a little more environmentally friendly, not just in terms of micro-plastics but also in terms of the manufacturing process and what can be done with the clothes when you no longer want them.

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In conclusion, I think it is important to note that I do not buy expensive products just because of brand names, logos and social status. It is so much more than that and I hope this blog post has been able to briefly explain some of the reasons why I now rarely buy cheap, mass-produced clothing. I also hope that it has been insightful enough for some of you to take a step back and survey your own shopping habits and maybe make little changes for the better. I'm not telling you to go out and buy thousands of pounds worth of designer goods, that wouldn't be beneficial at all, but maybe think twice before buying that t-shirt in two different colours or throwing away that pair of shoes you've only worn twice. 

If you're not ready to change your shopping habits, maybe think about changing other habits such as buying takeout coffees or bottled water. Invest in a reusable coffee cup and water bottle. Or you could reduce your plastic usage by buying loose fruit and veg from either supermarkets or local farmers markets to avoid the excessive plastic packaging. 

Everything in the commercial industry is based on supply and demand. The less plastic we buy, in any form, the less they'll produce and sell = less negative impacts on our environment.