Primark launches traffic-light stock check on new website but no home delivery

The website will use a traffic light system for customers to check what's in store. Credit: Primark

Primark has finally launched a website that will allow UK customers to check if an item is available in their local store.

The value fashion retailer has also promised shoppers its biggest ever range to browse from home, with thousands of products including clothes and homeware.

The new website is meant to “better connect the journey between searching online and then shopping in store”, and the retailer hopes it will help Primark to "reach a whole new set of customers".

Customers cannot shop online however, as Primark still does not offer home delivery.

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The website will feature more information and better photos of products, Primark said, while shoppers will be able to browse items by colour and size.

Customers will also be able to check the availability of a product in a certain branch through a traffic light system. If an item has a green light, it is in stock, while orange means there are a few left, and red means it's sold out but will be returning.

A grey light means the item is not stocked in a particular store.

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In a statement, the retailer said the move marks a shift in the role of digital within the business as it recognises the critical role online can play to support sales in-store.

Primark chief executive Paul Marchant said: “We know our customers love the experience of shopping with Primark and the surprises they pick up when they come into our stores – it’s what makes Primark special.

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“However, we know that they also want to browse the latest collections online and be able to check availability, which is what our new website makes possible for the first time.

“The new site also gives us a great opportunity to reach a whole new set of customers, enabling us to showcase the great range of products we offer when they’re browsing online to help tempt them into our stores.”

The UK is the first country to get the new website, which will be rolled out to Primark’s 13 other markets in the coming months.

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