Primark, founded in Dublin in 1969 and owned by Associated British Foods, has grown into one of the largest fast-fashion retailers in the world. With over 400 stores across Europe and the US, it sells clothing at ultra-low prices, driving massive volume sales and encouraging disposable consumption.
Primark’s business model relies on opaque supply chains, rapid production cycles, and the externalization of costs onto workers and the environment. From wage theft and unsafe factories to the mountains of waste generated by cheap clothing, the brand exemplifies the harms of fast fashion. Its scale and visibility make it one of the clearest consumer-facing boycott targets in ABF’s portfolio.
Primark has a long record of labor exploitation and worker rights abuses, from its role in the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh to ongoing poverty wages in supplier factories. The brand has little transparency on living wages or safe working conditions, despite being one of the biggest buyers in South Asia.
Environmentally, Primark’s reliance on synthetic textiles, rapid product cycles, and massive waste output make it one of the most damaging actors in the fast-fashion industry. Watchdogs consistently flag its low scores on sustainability and accountability.
The company is also implicated in Israel’s occupation economy through its sourcing from Delta Galil Industries, which operates production facilities in illegal West Bank settlements. By partnering with Delta Galil, Primark directly profits from land theft, military occupation, and systemic apartheid conditions.
Primark’s harm is therefore both structural (fast fashion’s global labor and environmental abuses) and political (entanglement with Israeli apartheid supply chains). This dual impact justifies a High rating in the boycott directory.
Stepping away from the convenience of fast fashion works best when you slow your shopping pace, focus on versatile pieces that last, and keep a shortlist of brands with transparent sourcing and fair labour practices. If shopping at more ethical stores is out of reach, choose the least harmful fast-fashion option you can find, prioritizing higher-quality items you intend to keep for years. The goal is to buy less, choose better, and source smarter, not to eliminate new purchases altogether.
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