On Monday, shortly after the retailer finally started offering click-and-collect, Primark's website crashed. It is beginning a trial for solely children's products at 25 stores in north-west England, Yorkshire, and north Wales.
The retailer has fallen victim to the online shopping revolution, but it is not scheduling delivery. The chain lost more than £1 billion in sales when its outlets had to close due to the pandemic.
Primark acknowledged that some customers were having trouble visiting its website. The business said in a statement, "We're working hard to address this to ensure that everyone can access and browse the site easily,".
For some users, the website appeared to be back online around mid-afternoon. The launch of Primark's click-and-collect service, according to the retailer's chief executive Paul Marchant, was a milestone for us and a really important moment".
"We're massive fans of bricks and mortar. We believe in stores and we believe in the High Street. We think click-and-collect is the right proposition," he told a media agency.
The retailer anticipates that allowing customers to purchase items online and pick them up in-store will increase foot traffic to its shops. Primark was forced to close its 190 UK stores during the pandemic lockdowns and has no online business to fall back on. But Mr. Marchant claims that the High Street is now back in good spirits.
As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, consumers are looking for every opportunity to save money. Customers have been switching from name brands to own-label products in supermarkets, and many people have stocked up on warm clothing to reduce their heating costs. This winter, according to Primark, its snuddie, or an oversized hoodie, has been one of its best-selling items.