Primark customers complained they could not access the site being trialled in the north-west of England, Yorkshire, and Wales
The long-awaited online ordering platform for Primark collapsed shortly after going live due to higher than anticipated demand. After years of opposition, the fast fashion retailer began a pilot program on Monday, November 14, allowing consumers to pay for children’s apparel, toys, and nursery supplies online and pick them up at 25 locations in the northwest of England, Yorkshire, and Wales.
On the first day of the new “click and collect” service, many customers tried to use it but were unable to place an order. It also appeared that the helpline service had crashed.
Primark’s official Facebook site was full of complaints from potential customers saying they could not access the site. “Pointless when the website is down,” one said while another bemoaned the fact “nothing works on it”.
“It’s been great to see so much interest in the launch of our new Click + Collect trial. We’re aware that some people have had issues accessing the website this morning and we’re working hard to address this to ensure that everyone can access and browse the site easily,” said a Primark spokesperson.
The trial covered cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Carlisle, and Wrexham. Bury and Llandudno were also involved. Shoppers are able to choose from a list of 2,000 items including items exclusively available online and not on offer in smaller local stores.
Orders will be available for collection in the participating stores two days after they have been placed with a £15 minimum order value and no delivery charge.
“We’re big fans of the high street and we believe passionately that a thriving local shopping area benefits everyone in the community. Our approach to online is all about supporting and complementing our stores, which will always be at the heart of our business.
“The trial offers the convenience of browsing and shopping from the comfort of your home, while also providing customers living near one of our smaller stores, like Wallasey, as big a range as on offer in a much larger store like Liverpool. Everyone, no matter their local store, will get access to lots of exclusive new products,” said Primark chief executive, Paul Marchant.
