A huge Primark sale when stores reopen could be on the cards

The coronavirus pandemic has forced retailers up and down the country to close their doors, and Primark is no different.

The budget retailer shut the doors of all of its 189 UK stores in a bid to help stop the virus from spreading, but there could be some very good news for Primark fans when they do reopen.

According to The Mirror, Primark has amassed a load of unsold clothes and other goods, as stock orders continued to arrive after the branches were shut.

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This could mean as much as £1.5billion worth of unsold stock is sitting in its warehouses, with experts predicting a huge sale to get rid of it all when stores open again.

Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sophie Lund-Yates said: “When Primark was ordered to shut its doors mountains of inventory was already on its way, ready to replenish stores which are in hibernation.”

“For consumers this could mean bumper sales when shops reopen, as sales stickers are one of the quickest ways to shift excess items.”

George Weston, boss of Associated British Foods, who own Primark, said stores would not reopen until the disease is under control.

Mr Weston said: “Much as I would love to be allowed to reopen Primark stores across the UK, continental Europe and the USA soon, because lockdown has so harmed our business and our supply chains, I know that we must not do so until we have suppressed this disease.

“When we are allowed to reopen we must make our Primark stores safe for our staff and our customers, even if that means ensuring there are fewer people shopping at any one time and so accepting lower sales at least until the remaining risk is minimal.”