Primark click-andcollect crashes site

PRIMARK’S website crashed yesterday after the budget fashion retailer offered British shoppers a click-and-collect service, the first time that customers could buy from the company online.

The website was blank at 2.40pm with a message saying that “some people have had issues accessing” the site and the company was working hard to ensure shoppers could browse easily.

The click-and-collect trial on children’s products is operating across 25 stores. Primark struggled during Covid lockdowns because stores were forced to close for months and the business had no e-commerce site to fall back on.

The trial allows shoppers to buy online and collect in-store. Primark has previously updated its website to allow customers to check the availability of items in stores while still not buying online.

It came as Primark considered shutting stores in Germany as it struggles to attract shoppers in the same numbers as it did prior to the pandemic.

Last week the retailer’s owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), said it was reviewing its options in the country, including potentially scaling back stores, in an effort to push its German business back into the black.

ABF took a £206m charge against Primark Germany, after profitability fell “to an unacceptably low level”.

In September, ABF issued a profit warning as soaring energy costs ramped up Primark’s bills on air conditioning, heating and electricity by around £100m.