Norwich – Primark

I try and avoid anything related to shopping whenever I can, but I needed a new belt and I didn’t know where else in Norwich might sell them. Well, I knew where might sell them, but at a price that was ideally less than £5. Norwich’s Primark re-opened in the week and I entered to be confronted with what can only be described as what I imagine walking through the Gates of Hell would be like. The store appeared to be full, with excited shoppers galore all over the place.

Incidentally, this is where I heard one of my favourite quotes of the year:

“We can’t steal in here, imagine getting banned from Primark for ten years, can’t risk it”.

That’s one way of avoiding shop-lifting I suppose….

In the distance, there’s a blue “pay here” light. That’s how long the queue was, around 45 people from what I could count. A poor member of staff was reduced to standing with a large sign saying “queue starts here” to bring some logic to the proceedings.

Nearing the front of the queue…. In fairness, it took me nine minutes to be served, which is way too long, but since it’s a new store on a Sunday shortly before Christmas, I suppose that’s inevitable. The queue was well managed and the staff at the counters were all young, enthused and efficient.

The prices here are ridiculous though, certainly a throwaway culture. But, it’s what people demand and the clothing is affordable and the quality looked entirely reasonable to my untrained clothing standards eye. They had hiking socks at prices so low that they were almost not worth washing and the stock range in the store was enormous. And, particularly important for me on this visit, they had a belt which cost £4. Most lovely.

Anyway, that’s pretty much my entire clothes shopping blogging done for the year.