Primark half-year sales ‘excellent’

THE success of Primark, which trades as Penneys in Ireland, showed no signs of ending after its owner promised excellent results from the chain.

Associated British Foods, which also owns brands Twinings, Kingsmill and Silver Spoon, said that Primark’s half-year sales were substantially ahead of last year, helped by new space and a 5% rise in like-for-like trade.

The discount fashion chain, which became known for its super-cheap clothes long before the credit crunch, now has 187 stores following a sharp expansion in Britain and Spain in recent years.