Primark announces home delivery for UK customers after years of resistance
Primark has confirmed it will offer home delivery to UK customers for the first time, marking a dramatic reversal of its longstanding resistance to online retail as pressure mounts from digital-first competitors.
Owner Associated British Foods announced the budget fashion retailer would launch home delivery 'in the future', following what it described as a detailed review of the opportunity. The move represents a significant strategic shift for a brand that has consistently argued its razor-thin margins could not support the costs of shipping individual orders to customers' homes.
To support the new service, Primark has purchased a Sheffield fulfilment facility from online retailer Boohoo for £90 million, signalling a serious commitment to the channel. The company operates nearly 200 stores across the UK and generates annual revenues of approximately £9.5 billion from 486 retail locations across 19 markets globally.
The announcement comes as Primark faces mounting competition from Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, which has rapidly expanded its UK presence. Shein's market share in Britain grew from 2.2 per cent in 2023 to approximately 3.1 per cent in 2024, making it the sixth-largest clothing retailer in the country. The company achieved UK sales of £2.05 billion in 2024, representing a 32.3 per cent year-on-year increase that positioned it ahead of Boohoo and close to overtaking ASOS.
In a statement, ABF said Primark's digital maturity, including the success of its click-and-collect service, alongside broader online market developments, meant there was now an opportunity for profitable growth through home delivery. The company noted customers are increasingly turning to digital tools that make shopping easier.
Gradual digital expansion
Primark has approached digital commerce cautiously. It first trialled click-and-collect in November 2022 at just 25 stores in North West England, Yorkshire and North Wales, initially offering only children's products and nursery items. The service was gradually expanded and completed its rollout across all UK stores by summer 2025.
The retailer launched a mobile app for UK customers in April 2026, following successful rollouts in Ireland and Italy the previous summer. The app supports the click-and-collect service and provides digital shopping tools.
For years, Primark representatives firmly rejected the possibility of home delivery, with company statements as recently as early 2025 suggesting it would 'never happen'. The retailer consistently argued that its business model of offering extremely low prices through high-volume sales in physical stores made online delivery uneconomical.
New leadership drives change
The strategic pivot comes under chief executive Eoin Tonge, who was appointed to the permanent role in March 2026 after serving as interim CEO since March 2025. Tonge previously held senior positions at Marks & Spencer, including chief financial officer and chief strategy officer.
His leadership is preparing Primark for independence following ABF's announcement in April 2026 that it would demerge the fashion retailer from its food business by the end of 2027, creating two separately listed FTSE 100 companies.
The group reported that Primark's like-for-like sales are expected to decline 3.0 per cent in its fourth quarter ending 12 September, with the UK and Ireland up 0.4 per cent but continental Europe down 4.3 per cent. ABF forecast group adjusted operating profit for the full 2025-26 year broadly in line with previous expectations.
The launch of home delivery marks the culmination of Primark's gradual evolution from a purely bricks-and-mortar retailer to a business embracing omnichannel commerce, driven by changing customer expectations and intensifying competition from online-native brands.
