I tested out the world’s biggest Primark – I’ve never seen so many amazing dupes & the clothing range was insane
PACKED full with everything your heart could desire, from the latest fashion, shoes, accessories and homeware – your local Primark is quite often the ideal one-stop shop.
This is especially true of the world’s largest Primark store, handily located in Birmingham, which consists of a staggering 160k square feet of merchandise, spread over five floors.
Primark fan Molly Grant, 24, is based in Manchester and pops into her local store most evenings after work.
The Senior PR Executive spends up to £150 a month in the store, and around half her wardrobe is from the affordable high street brand.
She therefore jumped at the chance to put the world’s largest Primark to the test.
Here, she delivers her verdict to Fabulous, revealing what she loved, what she thought could be improved and how it was unique compared to other stores…
‘Wow, this is bl***y impressive!’
After travelling the 70-odd miles to the flagship shop from her home in Manchester, Molly was initially taken aback by the sheer scale of the store.
She says: “First impressions were ‘wow, this is bl***y impressive!’
“The main difference about this Primark is the sheer size of the store, and the ranges on offer in the store.
“I was eager to get inside and start shopping! When you walk in the front entrance it’s brightly lit and open plan.
“To my left were some ‘trending’ items and gym wear, and towards the back of the first floor there was a beauty salon.
“There weren’t clothes all over the floor or untidy areas – everything had a section.
“The range of clothes on offer at this store was so large – I don’t think you could go in and not buy something to be honest!”
A dupe-lover’s dream
Primark are known for their affordable dupes – and in this store in particular shoppers can really make the most of this.
Molly says: “I noticed there was a large range of dupes in the store from beauty product to clothing.
“I loved the Urban Outfitter-dupe cargo pants which look exactly the same, at a fraction of the cost.
“Also the Keith Haring range, which looks a lot like Comme des Garçons with the classic heart.
“My favourite bit in the clothes section right now is probably the blazer and skirt / skort section, which was giving major classy 90s ‘Clueless’ vibes!
“I tried the bright two-piece blazer and shorts which I brought as it’s going to be perfect for spring and summer soirees and bottomless brunches.”
‘The largest range I’ve ever seen’
Megan was particularly impressed by the sheer size of the range, but also the actual sizes on offer too.
She says: “It was the largest range of clothes, shoes, accessories on offer in one store I’d ever seen, and there were clothes for all body types.
“I normally go for size XS or S in Primark and being 5ft 3in I sometimes struggle with the length of skirts or jeans, but I had no problems during this trip finding items which fit well.
“I could find my size in everything which is good as they normally run out of my size – a 6 to 8 – as it’s a popular size.
“I also loved the Valentine’s underwear collection as it was all cute and pink!
“Honestly, anything you might possibly want, I can guarantee you’ll find it or something similar in Primark Birmingham.”
A unique experience
Boasting their largest Duck & Dry beauty studio, an instore barbers, three eateries including a Greggs café and a pre-loved section, the store provides shoppers with everything you could possibly need – and more.
Molly says: “There are many aspects of this store which make it unique.
“I liked that there was free phone charging stations in the store too, and there was also free Wi-Fi as well as water fountains to refill bottles.
“The ‘Customtees’ area where you can customise your own Disney t-shirt is a cool aspect, as well as the Disney café.
“There was music playing from classic Disney films and a play area and the entrance to it was also pretty cool as you walk through a cut-out of Mickey Mouse!
“The beauty studio also looked amazing and there was tons of treatments on offer, including facials, pedicures, manicures, threading, waxing and blow-dries.
“They also had a pre-loved clothing recycle box encouraging shoppers to stop waste and ‘throwaway fashion’ which I thought was a great initiative.”
“Tills on every single level which made queue time a lot less, and the fitting rooms on each level were always empty which was good and there were lots of places to sit for tired boyfriends!”
‘Some may say it’s too overwhelming’
In terms of drawbacks, Molly had very few complaints, although she says: “Some may say it’s too big and overwhelming – although I loved it.
“It also became busier towards the end of my trip, although that didn’t really bother me, and I overhead some men commenting that women had far more choice.
“Perhaps men’s section could’ve been bigger?”
Something for everyone
Explaining why she generally loves Primark, Molly says: “For me, it’s important to still be following fashion trends and trying new styles without breaking the bank whilst trying to do so.
“I’m able to do that when shopping at Primark without spending loads unnecessarily!
“The range is huge and there truly is something for everyone.”