Great news for Penneys shoppers with new website launch

There won't be online shopping, with no plans for a delivery service in the pipeline, but from next year you'll never have to go in 'cold' again

With Penneys' new website, you can check stock and product launches before your shopping trip

There is some good news for Penneys shoppers: the retail giant is set to launch a new website next year. And though there won’t be an online shopping service, customers will be able to check what’s in stock before heading to their local store.

Currently, shoppers usually need to wing it when it comes to planning a Penneys trip — asking friends or looking to social media for insights.

But from 2022, no more, product launches for clothing and home items will all be located on a single Penneys or Primark website that will be translated depending on location.

"The improved functionality of the website will allow us to showcase a much larger proportion of the Primark range and provide to customers range availability by store,” Primark said in a statement.

Some will be disappointed to learn that there are no plans for a delivery service in the pipeline, even after the retailer spent 15 months with Irish stores closed due to lockdown.

Primark has stated in the past that they do not want to launch an online shopping service, citing the high costs of running an online business and the associated customer returns. Research shows that on average, around 8% of items purchased in stores are returned. When it comes to online shopping, this number rises to between 30% and 70%.

"We have no plans for a delivery service, our focus for now is investing in our new website and digital marketing capabilities in order to drive customer footfall," a spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

Cork's Penneys stores have been hopping since reopening. Picture: Andy Gibson.

Managers probably don't see a need, with Primark hitting €1.87 billion in sales from February 28 to June 19 as shops reopened across Europe, beating all management expectations.

The figures are featured in a recent report from AB Foods, the owners of Primark. "Our stores in the UK, Republic of Ireland, France and Italy delivered very strong increases," the report states. 

The sales performances were based on "an increase in basket sizes and a lower level of markdown" and "a resurgence in demand for fashion across womenswear and menswear, as customers start to step out of lockdown leisurewear," according to the report.

"There has been a strong response to our two hero womenswear ranges for spring/summer, with the pink gingham and purple blazers selling out within weeks."

Penneys' pink blazer was extremely popular

Primark has also grown its social media following to 24.5 million and is preparing to open its 400th store this year.

“Some of the fashion is flying off the shelves,” AB Foods finance chief, John Bason, said.

“That is a return to people really wanting to buy things because they’re starting to go out again, whereas previously, after the other two lockdowns, it really was all about leisurewear or nightwear or things for the home.”