Primark launches new durability and repair initiatives
Primark is launching a range of new durability and repair initiatives as it looks to become a more circular business in line with its long-term sustainability strategy, Primark Cares.
This will include working with WRAP through the Textile 2030 agreement to establish an industry-wide durability standard and scaling up Primark’s free clothing repair workshops following a 12-month pilot.
To understand the factors which impact how long clothing lasts, Primark is also partnering with environmental and behaviour change experts Hubbub. As part of the project, the retailer has commissioned the University of Leeds School of Design to carry out independent academic research that tests the physical durability on a range of women’s and men’s clothing of different price points under controlled conditions.
Primark will also work with Hubbub to research consumer attitudes to clothing and to examine consumer wearing and washing habits in practice.
Following a successful pilot in 2022 when 43 repair workshops were rolled out in the UK and Republic of Ireland, Primark is expanding its free repair workshop programme to more stores across both countries. The service will then be extended to additional European markets. Led by designer and fashion lecturer Lorraine Mitchell and fashion stylist Janina Gruber, the hands-on sessions cover core basic repair skills such as sewing buttons, zips and mending tears, as well as lessons on customisation.
In addition, the retailer has created an online customer hub featuring easy-to-follow repair videos that cover everything from basic stitching to sewing on buttons and zips. The tutorials will be available across all of Primark’s social channels.
Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares, said: “We believe passionately that more sustainable fashion should be affordable for all and whatever your budget you should be able to trust that the clothes you are buying meet a certain standard and can go the distance. This has never been more important for our customers.
“That’s why we want to see the introduction of a durability standard across the fashion industry, and we want to understand more about the behaviours and attitudes which impact how we all wear and care for our clothes. We know that many clothes that are discarded may still have plenty of wear left in them and that’s why we want to help people learn new repair skills to be able to sew, fix a button or even customise a piece of clothing and give it a new lease of life.”
