Concepting Plus

Table of contents
Introduction 2
Model and explanation 3
Link to theories 12
Primark 13
Application of model 15
Primark canvas 28
Conclusions and recommendations 29
Painpoints/chances 31
Individual advice Carly 35
Individual advice Britt 41
Individual advice Hilde 51
Individual advice Lisa 59
Individual advice Yoeri 65
Sources 73
1

introduction
We, Hilde, Yoeri, Lisa, Carly and Britt, have developed a new model for the advanced course ‘Concepting Plus’.
The model we created is called ‘Colour your Company’. This model is based on different theories and can be
used to analyse an existing concept and to evaluate the quality of the concept. In this report we have exactly
described the way our model works and how the model can be used. For creating this model, we used several
existing theories that we mention later on. Colour your Company is based on painting your own canvas.
Before having your finished canvas, you have to decide what kind of colours you want and what you want to
paint. You will analyze the colours. This also works with our model, the colours you will use will be chosen by
analyzing. For evaluating your canvas, you look at the different dots in the canvas. In the end, you have your
own painted canvas that suits your own company.
Our new model has been applied to the company ‘Primark’. Primark is a big clothing chain store with stores
all over the world. With our model we have analysed Primark, and we found some pains and gains. These
pains and gains are the input for improving an existing concept carrier of Primark or to develop a new
concept carrier. This part can be found at the end of the report and has been made individually.
2

Model and explanation
3

How to paint
You start with the three palettes in front of you. Every palette has its own painting spots with different elements belonging to it.
Per palette you analyse the elements that belong on the palette.
On palette one you analyse the company’s vision, mission, core values and target group. On palette two you analyse if the company
looks at trends and developments in their branch and you analyse the concept name and one-liner(s). On palette three you analyse
the product, communication, physical environment, organisation, customer service and network.
On the canvas, the sizes of the spots have already been made. You only have to paint them with the right colour. You can paint with
watercolour because it dries quickly, and then write the word of the element in the dot with a black marker. For palette 1 you choose
the biggest spots on the canvas, because this is about the company itself and thus the most important palette. For palette 2 you choose
the medium spots on the canvas. For palette 3, you choose the smallest spots on the canvas. The biggest dots, which are of palette 1,
tell you that you first need to improve the core of your company, which is actually your existence.
At the end, you get a painted canvas: your own business painting! The painting consists of different sizes of dots so you can
immediately see which elements need to be improved and which not when you look at the colors of the dots.
Note: making your painting on a canvas with paint would be the nicest, but of course you can also work with paper and coloured
pens or you can do it with Photoshop/Paint. The system remains the same.
Evaluation
Per element you have three colours to paint with, which are green, yellow and red. To evaluate how the company scores on each
element, there is a question list. Per element there are three questions that are asked. The questions per element can be found on
the next page.
1. If a company answers ‘yes’ on none of the questions, you can paint with the colour red. This means that the company has
to improve itself in its core.
2. If a company answers ‘yes’ on one or two of the questions, you can paint with the colour yellow. This means that a company can
improve some elements, but that they are not doing too bad.
3. If a company answers ‘yes’ on all the questions, you can paint with the colour green. This means that the company
understands very well what it is doing.
4

Palette 1
Paint dot 1: Vision
Critical question Yes No
Is the vision innovative
and not based on
money and profit?
Does the vision give
direction to which way
the organisation would
like to go?
Can you put every
product/service under
the vision?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
Paint dot 2: Mission
5
Critical question Yes No
Does the mission
contain a link to the
goals of the
organisation?
Is the mission longterm
focused?
Is the mission
executable?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red

Paint dot 3: Core values
Critical question Yes No
Are the core values
distinctive?
Does the organisation
have a minimum
amount of three and
maximum amount of
six core values?
Do the core values fit
the vision and mission?
Colour (circle the
right colour)
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Green Yellow Red
Paint dot 4: Target group
Critical question Yes No
Does the organisation
have a clear target
group?
Does the target group
fit the organisation’s
product/service?
Does the organisation
understand the needs
of the target group?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
6

Palette 2
Paint dot 1: Trends/developments
Critical question Yes No
Does the organisation respond to
trends and developments?
Are the trends/developments
the organisation chooses relevant
for the organisation?
Are the trends/developments
the organisation chooses relevant
for the stakeholders?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
Paint dot 2: Concept name
Critical question Yes No
Does the concept have a
clear and recognizable name?
Does the name not collide with
its vision?
Is the name suitable for
expansion?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
7

Paint dot 3: One-liner
Critical question Yes No
Does the concept have a
one-liner?
Does the one-liner fit
the vision?
Is the one-liner easy to
remember?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
8

Palette 3
Paint dot 1: Product
Critical question Yes No
Do the products fit the vision?
Do the products fit the needs of
the customer?
Does the organisation keep the
products up-to-date?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
Paint dot 2: Communication
Critical question Yes No
Does the communication fit the
vision?
Does the communication fit the
target group?
Does the organisation use the right
tone of voice for their target
group?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
9

Paint dot 3: Physical environment
Critical question Yes No
Does the physical environment fit
the vision?
Does the physical environment fit
the target group?
Does the physical environment
contribute to a better customer
experience?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
Paint dot 4: Organisation
Critical question Yes No
Does the organisation fit the
vision?
Does the staff execute the core
values?
Does the staff know the
organisation’s story?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
10

Paint dot 5: Customer service
Critical question Yes No
Does the staff give the right service
to the customers?
Can the organisation easily be
reached via different channels?
Does the organisation have one or
more service protocols?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
Paint dot 6: Network
Critical question Yes No
Does the organisation work
together with relevant stakeholders?
Does the organisation involve the
stakeholders in their business in
the right way?
Do the stakeholders fit the core
values of the organisation?
All ‘yes’ = green One or two ‘yes’ = yellow No ‘yes’ = red
Colour (circle the
right colour)
Green Yellow Red
11

Link to theories
For creating our model, we were inspired by several theories and models. For example, we really liked to take the ‘Sleeping,
Awakening, Living’-theory in our model. We would like to create a model that is first ‘empty’ but which you can make living
and vivid. A model where you can definitely see a change with a before and after. From the theories of Service Design and
Experience Mapping, we thought the service aspect is important to implement in our model as part of the concept carriers,
since service is a very defining point in how customers experience an organisation. Furthermore, we took some input from
models like Build to Last and Golden circle to set up some questions for our criteria list.
But as well, we used our own common sense and knowledge to think of relevant questions to evaluate an organisation.
By combining all these theories and models, we came up with our own authentic model ‘Colour your Company’.
12

primark
Primark is a budget clothing store chain. The first Primark store opened in Dublin in 1969. In Ireland Primark
is called Penneys and it is used there as their trade mark. Within a few years Penneys expanded quickly and went
abroad. In the early 1970s, the fashion retail chain entered the markets in Great Britain where the name Primark
established.
Later on, the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s were the years of rapid expansion for Primark across the United Kingdom.
In 2006, Primark opened their first store outside the United Kingdom. Nowadays, Primark has a lot of stores
in different countries, for example Spain, The Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium and France. In almost every
country you can find several stores of Primark. Currently Primark has 12 establishments in The Netherlands.
Primark has a very diverse assortment; it sells a lot of clothing, accessories and beauty products for men, women,
children and babies and it also sells home accessories. Primark also responds to season related products; you can
find Christmas tree lights and Christmas clothing during winter and they offer travel suitcases during spring and
summer.
Primark sells their products at a very low price. On the other hand, they care about working conditions and the
environment. This can be read on the website and when you buy something in a store, you get a recycled paper
bag. Furthermore, they use mainly environmentally friendly LED-lights in their stores.
13

14

application of model
Analysis and evaluation
Palette 1
Vision
Different visions of Primark can be found online. We have chosen the following vision for analyzing, since this is the one that is the clearest visible:
“Sell as much clothes in a responsible way for an inexpensive ‘true’ price.” Primark believes it is important to sell as much clothes for a cheap price
in a responsible way. They mean that they make no use of child labour, they don’t have bad working conditions for their employees and they pay decent
salaries. The clothes are so cheap because Primark keeps their own overheads very low. Primark has no expensive advertisements and campaigns and
they place very big orders at their suppliers. The Primark’s Code of Conduct states that all their suppliers must pay the workers a minimum wage and
that Primark carefully checks every factory. In this way, the workers earn a fair price for their work. Their responsibility is a good point of course, but a
vision should give direction to a company. Unfortunately, Primark hasn’t put their vision on their website and different visions can be found online.
In this way, the consumer or visitor doesn’t know what the real vision of Primark is. Their vision can more be seen as a goal they want to achieve, for
example making a lot of profit.
For Primark
Is the vision innovative and not based on money and profit?
Does the vision give direction to which way the organisation would like to go?
Can you put every product/service under the vision?
No
No
No
Colour: red
According to us, the vision is based on money and profit. Also, the company doesn’t say anything about how they see the world or what their view
is, they are only talking about selling clothes for low prices. In this way, the vision doesn’t give any direction and you cannot put another product or
service under the vision.
15

Mission
‘Provide customers with quality clothing and interior items for a low price’. Primark wants the products they sell to be
inexpensive, but not have a bad quality. The clothes come from all over the world, like China, India, Bangladesh, but also Turkey
and Eastern Europe. Primark has over 700 suppliers and Primark mentions that they check every factory. Most of these factories
make clothes for all kinds of different brands, also luxury brands. Primark claims their products are of a high quality, but in real life
the quality is not as high as they mention. The quality is actually very bad. The low price, though, is true indeed. Like the vision,
not one clear mission can be found on the Internet of Primark.
For Primark
Does the mission contain a link to the goals of the organisation?
Is the mission long-term focused?
Is the mission executable?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
The mission contains goals of the organisation, like providing fashionable clothes of good quality.
We think it is long-term focused, since they constantly want to deliver the latest fashion. The mission is also very executable.
16

Core values
A lot of different core values can be found on the website of Primark. These are the core values:
-To offer the best value for money
-To continuously improve our range of products
-To treat consumers, as we want to be treated ourselves
-To continuously strive for effectiveness
-To respect each other
-Ethical approaches to employment and trading
-Environment, health and safety
With these values Primark promises that they offer the best for a good price. They would like to continuously improve their products,
due to the latest trends and styles. They strive for ethical responsibility, but also effectiveness. It is important for Primark that the staff
treats the customer in a right way, with loyalty and respect, like they want to be treated themselves. Primark’s policies are based on equal
opportunities and fair treatment among the staff. Primark does not permit discrimination of any kind against any person. Furthermore, they
promote ethical trade relations and think about the environment, health and safety in their factories. When you look at the core values,
you can see that they really care about their responsibility.
For Primark
Are the core values distinctive?
Does the organisation have a minimum amount of three and maximum amount of six core values?
Do the core values fit the vision and mission?
Yes
No
No
Colour: yellow
We think the core values are distinctive, because they focus a lot on respect, environment and ethics. We believe they actually have too
much core values, an amount of five would be better and it would also be better if they formulate them shorter. We don’t think they fit
the mission and vision, since you cannot find anything about their care for the environment in their stores.
17

Target group
The target group Primark focuses on, are young people from around 18 to 30 years old.
Primark’s target customer, who is particularly female, is fashion-conscious and wants value for his/her money. It is mainly the
young generation who is attracted to Primark, because they don’t have much to spend but still want fashionable clothes.
The target group consists of youth who are low or middle class and have a below average to average income. Mostly teenagers,
students and young adults are in the target group of Primark.
In their spare time they visit festivals and concerts, do sports, go shopping and watch series and films.
However, Primark also sells clothes for men, children and babies, but these are not in their main target group.
For Primark
Does the organisation have a clear target group?
Does the target group fit the organisation’s product/service?
Does the organisation understand the needs of the target group?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
Primark has a clear target group, they know on whom to focus. Furthermore, the target group fits the organisation’s products,
since the target group is young and wants fashionable clothes and accessories. In this way, Primark understands what the target
group wants and responds to their needs.
18

Palette 2
Trends & developments
Different trends and developments can be seen in the fashion industry nowadays, which are for example:
* Plus size models
* Fashion shows as big events
* Virtual fitting rooms / apps
* Ethical responsibility
* Social media / online community
Primark claims to not follow fashion closely, since they place large orders at their suppliers. Yet, in order to do so they have to place
these orders months in advance, so they cannot keep up with the fashion that is ‘in’ at the moment. They follow fashion, but only
broadly. The development Primark really responds to, is CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility. Primark invests a lot of money in their
personnel and especially the personnel in the factories. They’ve developed a program to raise more awareness on topics such as
children’s education, health, employee’s rights and financial planning. Nowadays, people want to know where the products come from
and under which circumstances they are made. We are in a ‘meaning’ economy, which means that people who buy something want to
give something back. By taking the environment into consideration, Primark responds to this big trending topic. This is an advantage for
Primark in comparison to their competitors, since a lot of companies and organisations are accused of bad working conditions at their
factories in the news. Although Primark doesn’t respond to all trends, for example they do not spend much money on commercials and
they don’t even have a webshop, they are very involved with anything that has to do with labor and the environment.
For Primark
Does the organisation respond to trends and developments?
Are the trends/developments the organisation chooses relevant for the organisation?
Are the trends/developments relevant for the stakeholders?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
We think that Primark responds to trends and developments, since they respond to the big development of Corporate Social
Responsibility, which is very important. This big trend is very relevant for the organisation, since they can distinguish themselves,
especially with CSR. The trends and developments are also relevant for the stakeholders, because they have a lot of stakeholders
that are environmental organisations, so this fits.
19

Concept name
First, in 1969, Primark opened in Dublin as ‘Penneys’. In Ireland, Primark is still called Penneys. Primark is the name that refers to
the whole company, while the trade name Penney’s is only used in Ireland. In Ireland, the name Penneys is always followed with
‘Operated by Primark’, which you can see on their shopping bags for example.
When looking at the name Primark, it doesn’t reveal immediately that you can buy clothes and interior items.
But now, since Primark is very famous all over the world, everyone knows what you mean if you mention the company’s name.
For Primark
Does the concept have a clear and recognizable name?
Does the name not collide with its vision?
Is the name suitable for expansion?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
Primark is a clear and recognizable name. Because of its success and the fact they are famous around the world, it is very recognizable.
The name doesn’t collide with the vision, you can put other products or services under it. So the name is not specific, it is suitable for
expansion of products and services.
20

One-liner
Primark doesn’t have just one clear one-liner, we saw for example ‘’Adored by fashion fans and value seekers alike, Primark
is widely established as the destination store for keeping up with the latest looks without breaking the bank’’, “Amazing
fashion, amazing prices” and “Look good, pay less” on different websites. Since “Look good, pay less” is used several times
on other websites, we take this one for analyzing. The one-liner used here fits Primark very well. Primark wants to sell
fashionable clothing for an affordable price. They follow fashion trends broadly and they want to give the best value for
their customer’s money. In their one-liner, they mention their customers can keep up with nowadays fashion and that they
can look good in it, without spending so much money.
For Primark
Does the concept have a one-liner?
Does the one-liner fit the vision?
Is the one-liner easy to remember?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
Primark has a one-liner, which is short and clear. It fits the vision, because in the vision they mention fashionable clothes and
cheap prices. So in that way, the one-liner fits the vision. The one-liner, ‘Look good, pay less’ is easy to remember for everybody.
21

Palette 3
Product
Primark sells a wide range of clothes and accessories for men, women, children and babies for a low price. Next to this they sell
beauty products for women. Items that Primark sells include for example pants, shirts, blouses, tops, dresses, skirts, button-downs,
ties, scarves, underwear, jackets, eveningwear and footwear. Popular accessories are belts, necklaces, handbags, purses, charms,
and
bracelets. Primark also sells household goods and decor, such as throw rugs, candles, pillows, bedding and decorative trinkets.
Primark takes the working conditions in factories and the environment into account within the production cycle. The value for
money, although, is less since clothes are not made of the best materials and are most of the times not lasting for a long time.
For Primark
Do the products fit the vision?
Do the products fit the needs of the customer?
Does the organisation keep the products up-to-date?
No
Yes
Yes
Colour: yellow
According to us, the products don’t fit the vision. This is because in the vision Primark talks about clothing, and not about other
products like accessories and household goods. The products fit the needs of the customer, since the target group likes fashionable
clothing, accessories and other beauty products. Primark makes sure that the products are up-to-date, since they look at different
fashion trends.
22

Communication
Primark makes use of the following communication channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Youtube channel, their
own website, store opening events and newsletters, to communicate with their target group. Primark doesn’t communicate
their vision and mission through one of these channels. Primark only sells their products via their physical shops; they don’t sell
products over the internet. Primark communicates through these channels in an informal way; they post messages, for example
about products or about season related products for the time of the year.
One of the main reasons Primark can offer their products for a very low price is because Primark doesn’t advertise. Primark
relies on the word-of-mouth strategy; by doing this they are using their customers as advertisers of their product. It is very
unique for a big clothing store to not spend money on advertising. Primark saves a lot of money in this way. But the downside
is that Primark doesn’t communicate their good CSR policy and their care for the origin of the products.
For Primark
Does the communication fit the vision?
Does the communication fit the target group?
Does the organization use the right tone of voice for their target group?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
The communication fits the vision. This is because they want to sell products for a very low price, which is also stated in the
vision, and low prices are only possible if they don’t advertise. Because they don’t advertise, the prices can be held low. The
communication fits the target group, since they are active on social media, where almost everyone of the target group uses
social media, and Primark communicates to them in an informal way. This means they also use the right tone of voice. They
know the target group of Primark is young women and they like to be spoken to in an informal way. The target group likes to
connect and react on their most beloved brands to have a connection with the brand or organisation.
23

Physical environment
The shops of Primark have a kind of factory-like design. The stores have a cheap look because of their massive size and the
massive productions. This suits Primark, since they prefer quantity above quality. The main colour in the stores is blue. Inside
the shops it is often very messy, it is most of the time very busy and because of the huge amounts of clothes it is difficult to keep
an overview. When you get to the fitting rooms, you have to wait in a huge queue. You can recognize staff members by their
simple clothes and keychain. The cashing desks are designed in a fast and effective way. People don’t have to be afraid to wait
in the wrong line, because there is just one line and you hear at which cash desk you can pay. The Primark bags are very
recognizable because these are paper bags with the big blue logo of the brand on it.
As Primark actively shows on their website, they spend a lot of energy on reducing the environmental impact of their
stores and logistic operations. This is also noticeable in their shops, for example Primark mainly uses LED-lights.
For Primark
Does the physical environment fit the vision?
Does the physical environment fit the target group?
Does the physical environment contribute to a better customer experience?
Yes
Yes
No
Colour: yellow
We think the physical environment fits the vision. In their vision they talk about selling as much as clothes as possible. They
prove this by the huge amount of clothes in their stores and a fast paying system. In this way, customers can buy clothes easily
and fast. Also, they have LED-lights and they use paper bags. In this way they respond to the word ‘responsible’ in their vision.
The physical environment also fits the target group, since they want a lot of clothes to choose from and they don’t want to wait
very long in the queue for the cashing desks. But, the physical environment doesn’t contribute to a better customer experience,
because it is very messy and unorganized in the rest of the store. This doesn’t enhance your mood.
24

Organisation
Primark has different development programs for new and developing employees. New employees of Primark are given a
structured introduction program based on Retail/Customer Service, Administration or Team Leading, but do the employees
actually use these insights while performing their jobs?
We went to a Primark store ourselves to find out how the employees treat the customers and how they carry out their job.
All employees were dressed in typical Primark uniforms. While entering the store the first thing we noticed was the security
employee. You have to take a Primark bag with you to put your products in. The first thing that catches the eye is the big
number of employees walking around like they are in a major hurry. The large tables are filled with all kinds of clothing and
you will find some employees folding clothes that customers left behind. This keeps everything more organized, or at least
they try to, but on the other hand it takes in a lot of space in the already ‘too crowded’ shop. At the end of the journey, the
employees of the cash desk are the ones that give you the last impression, which is a very important one. The employees
seem to be uninterested and distant and are constantly talking with each other instead of with the customers, even while
purchasing a product.
If you want to return your purchases, you have to go to the Customer Service Desk. At the Customer Service Desk the
employees are frequently not giving the customer the service they require.
For Primark
Does the organisation fit the vision?
Does the staff execute the core values?
Does the staff know the organisation’s story?
No
No
No
Colour: red
The organisation doesn’t fit the vision. The organisation should behave as some elements that can be found in the vision, but
relevant elements cannot be found in Primark’s vision. Furthermore, the staff doesn’t execute all the core values. Important core
values like ‘to treat customers as we want to be treated ourselves’ and ‘to respect each other’ can definitely not be said about
the organisation of Primark. This also leads to the fact that the staff doesn’t know the organisation’s story, otherwise they would
have behaved differently. Primark has a lot to improve on this point.
25

Customer service
With customer service we mean the way customers can reach an organisation, how customers are treated and how the service
is provided. The messiness of the shop is a factor that makes shopping at Primark less attractive. People can’t go to Primark for
quickly buying some clothes or accessories, because it is always very busy at Primark. Furthermore, the service the employees
give is mostly described as distant and uninterested, which doesn’t enhance people’s view of Primark. This is in contrary with
the fact that Primark has development programs for new employees of Primark based on Retail/Customer Service.
You don’t see employees giving the right service.
When you want to reach Primark as a customer, it is not very easy. Especially not through social media. Customers can send
a tweet to Primark, but they do not handle problems through social media. Instead Primark sends the customer to the shop or
gives them an email address. On Facebook, it is not possible to post a message on the timeline of Primark or to send a personal
message. On the website you can find the telephone number per store and it is possible to send an e-mail or letter to Primark.
In general the reviews of people on the internet about Primark are pretty good. The main thing that comes along in a lot of the
reviews is the advice to stay away from Primark on a Saturday for example. This is because of the massive number of customers at
that time which makes it very unpleasant to be there. Customers state that Primark is always ‘too crowded’ to experience a nice
and quiet shopping time.
For Primark
Does the staff give the right service to the customers?
Can the organisation easily be reached via different channels?
Does the organisation have one or more service protocols?
No
No
Yes
Colour: yellow
As can be read from the analysis, the staff doesn’t give a good service to the customers. You don’t feel a connection with the staff
because of their lack of interest and sympathy. Primark can’t be reached easily, especially not via social media. While this is the
most important communication method of the target group, Primark lacks a good accessibility. They do have some service
protocols, for example for customer experience and retail. So they have it, but they don’t really implement it to their staff.
26

Network
Primark tries to work as close as possible with suppliers and tries everything to make sure that the working conditions in the
factories are good. Primark works closely with their suppliers and factories that produce their goods. When Primark selects
new suppliers and factories, they first need to go through a selection process. In this way, Primark can decide if working
conditions are sufficient or if improvements are necessary before a supplier can be approved.
Primark really cares about the environment and working conditions and explains this extensively on their website. There
you can read about what projects Primark joined with what stakeholder(s). Primark has partnered with Business for Social
Responsibility (BSR) and suppliers on the HERproject (Health Enables Returns) to provide healthcare and health education
to women that work in the factories that make products for Primark. Furthermore, Primark always holds close contact with
governments, nearby communities and local organisations. Primark has a lot of different partners, all these partners are
stated on their website.
For Primark
Does the organisation work together with relevant stakeholders?
Does the organisation involve the stakeholders in their business in the right way?
Do the stakeholders fit the core values of the organisation?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Colour: green
Primark definitely works together with relevant stakeholders. Since they really care about the environment, they work with
stakeholders who share the same beliefs and thoughts. In this way, Primark involves them in their business, by doing projects
together. They work together so that Primark can improve its organisation constantly. The stakeholders also fit the core values
of the company, because Primark takes a supplier into a selection process first. In this way, they pick the right stakeholders.
Also, some core values like ‘to offer the best value for money’ and ‘to continuously improve our range of products’ suit the
stakeholders of Primark who provide the fast delivery of huge amounts of products.
27

primark canvas
For Primark we filled in all the tables of the different palettes, answered the questions in the criteria list
with yes or no and described how we see and evaluate Primark as an organisation. These answers and
explanations can be found at each element of the palettes. From these results, we made a canvas for
Primark with paint dots. This has been handed in as a second product, added to this report.
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conclusions and
After analyzing Primark with the Colour your Company model, a few things can be concluded. In general, Primark is a big
retail chain that sells many different products for different target groups (men, women, children and babies). Primark is well
known for their cheap products, which is namely clothing. Furthermore, Primark doesn’t communicate one clear vision,
mission and one liner and these are not mentioned on their website. The core values Primark has are very promising. These
values are about Primark’s ethical approaches, environment, respect and Primark’s cheap but trendy assortment. Primark’s
main target group is clear, which are mainly women between 18 and 30 years old who have an average income or a below
average income.
Primark doesn’t follow fashion closely, since they place large orders at their suppliers. In this way, they cannot keep up with the
latest fashion. They follow fashion, but only broadly. Primark has a very low budget for advertising. In this way they are able to
keep selling low-cost products, but they don’t fully communicate their care for the environment and their sustainability.
The shops are massive, the quality of clothes is poor and employees lack to give the right service to customers.
Also, there are huge queues for the fitting rooms.
Nowadays businesses are becoming more transparent and open to critical customers or questions by responding over several
channels, such as Twitter, Facebook and normal channels as phone service and e-mail. It is only possible to reach Primark via
e-mail, mail and telephone per location. When looking at Primark’s network, they work closely with their suppliers and factories
that produce their goods and they have a strong selection process for selecting new stakeholders.
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ecommendations
Based on the conclusions, we have some recommendations for Primark. Since we saw that different websites communicate
different visions, we changed the vision ourselves, in a way we would see the vision of Primark. The new vision would
be ‘Responsibility at all costs’. This vision is about taking responsibility at all times, whatever the effort and costs will be,
in every price range. We think this new vision would fit Primark. Furthermore, Primark should communicate one clear
vision, mission and one liner on their website. An idea could be for them to put their one liner on their shopping bags.
Another important point is that Primark should definitely communicate their care for the environment and working
conditions, so that there cannot be any misunderstandings about that topic.
Also, Primark should find a solution to make sure that queues are shorter at the fitting rooms so that it is easier for
customers to fit their clothes. A very important point that needs to be improvediss their staff and the service they give.
Primark should guide their staff better to make sure that they provide the best customer service.
When looking at the channels customers can use to reach Primark, it would be better if Primark makes use
of social media as a two-way communication channel. In this way they can serve the target group better.
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pain points / chances
We used the information from our analysis, conclusions and recommendations to sum up important pains and gains.
Research showed that there is an important gap between the things Primark wants to carry out (their sustainability and CSR)
while they don’t communicate this to their customers.
Pain points
- Bad vision which is focused on money and profit
- Primark doesn’t communicate one clear vision, mission and one liner
- Gap between identity and reality; Primark wants to sell high quality but in fact the clothes are of poor quality
- Primark doesn’t communicate what they all do on Corporate Social Responsibility
- Busy and massive stores that give you a cheap fabric look
- Huge queues at the fitting rooms
- Employees lack good personal service
Chances
+ Create a new vision
+ Communicate their good policy of sustainability and CSR to customers
+ Work on the internal organisation, by improving the service of employees
+ Adjust the store appearance; shorten the queue for the fitting rooms or make it more pleasant
+ Create an online webshop
+ Make use of new technologies for the fashion industry (for example apps)
+ Better use of social media to reach the target group
On the next pages our individual advice can be found, where we kept the new vision we created for Primark in mind.
Everyone took a painpoint and/or a chance and created a new concept carrier or improved an existing one.
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32

Individual

advice

Individual advice
The concept carrier that I have chosen to advise on for improvement is the concept carrier organisation. When looking at
the concept carrier organisation within Primark, a conclusion can be drawn by answering the questions in the canvas on
the previous pages of this concept book. To evaluate how the employees treat the customers and how they carry out their job,
I went to visit the Primark store in Eindhoven.
There were a few things that caught my eye in particular. The first thing was that all the employees that were in the store
either seemed to be in a hurry, or were not that interested in what was happening around them. All employees were dressed
in typical black pants and blouse Primark uniform. After being in the store for a while, while getting a little annoyed by the
employees that sometimes try to walk into you, I headed to the cash desk. The employees seem to be uninterested and distant
and are constantly talking with each other instead of with the customers, even while purchasing a product. Because the line for
the fitting rooms had at least 25 people in it, I decided to buy the clothes I wasn’t sure about, to try them on at home and return
them if they didn’t turn out as I expected. Once I got home, I tried to send a Facebook message to Primark to ask if items could
be returned in any store and not just the one I bought it from. After a long search, I found the answer on their website.
A week later, I went back to Primark Nijmegen to return the items. After strolling around the store for a few minutes, I asked a
store employee if she knew where I could find the service desk. Sadly the lady completely ignored me and continued folding
clothes in a stoic way. I eventually found the service desk myself, and returned the items. When the lady at the service desk
asked me why I wanted to return the items, I told her it had been too crowded at the fitting rooms, so I decided to fit the
clothes at home. She responded by telling me that this was actually not allowed, no matter how crowded the fitting rooms
were. My visit to the Primark stores was not so pleasant, to say the least.
35

Carly Manders
Description of improved concept carrier
To make sure the Primark employees will carry out the core values of the company in the future, they have to be
proud to work at the company. Right now there is a general introduction program for new employees based on retail/
customer service, administration or team leading, but in these programs the core of Primark doesn’t show.
The employees know very little about the good things Primark does for the environment, third world labor and
education. If the employees would know what their company does, they would be happy to work with the
company, which will result in them carrying out their jobs with more pleasure, which will eventually provide
better customer service.
‘Primark loves’ day
In order to understand what Primark does, the employees need to be educated about it. One day a year, the
employees of for example Primark Eindhoven, will go on a training day together. During this day, the ‘Primark
loves’ day, the employees will get different trainings, workshops and information about what Primark does in
the field of environment, third world labor and education. After the ‘Primark loves’ day, the employees will have
a better understanding of the company and will be more proud to work there. All the other Primark stores will
have such a day as well on another day. The training day will take place in facility halls in the city of the store, for
example in Eindhoven the Beursgebouw, in Nijmegen the LUX, etc.
‘Primark loves YOU’
After the ‘Primark loves’ day, the employees will receive a challenge to show what they’ve learned during the
special program day. The challenge for them will be to write a short story about what they’ve learned from this day.
Their story will be posted onto the Primark Facebook page, on which the customers of Primark that are on Facebook
can up vote the best story about what Primark does. The winner of this contest will receive a fully paid round trip
through the countries in South Asia where the Primark factories are located. Next to this, there will be a few small
consolation prizes such as eco-friendly/Fairtrade wooden sunglasses, tableware, furniture, etc. Amongst the
customers that voted for the employees’ stories on Facebook, the same consolation prizes will be raffled.
The stories will be posted in the week that the international World Fairtrade day is taking place on the
14th of May every year.
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Explanation of fit
As the analysis pointed out, Primark employees don’t carry out the core values that the company wants to represent.
That is why I have chosen the following pain point to match a chance for the concept carrier Organisation:
- Employees lack good personal service
+ Work on the internal organization, by improving the service of employees
While we were filling in the canvas for Primark, we discovered that the company lacked good personal service to its customers,
as can be read in the description of the store experience. Primark scored the colour red in this part of the canvas, which means
that there is very much room for improvement. The employees don’t carry out the core values. Important core values like ‘to
treat customers as we want to be treated ourselves’ and ‘to respect each other’ is nowhere to be found amongst the employees
of Primark. An explanation for this problem is that the employees don’t know the company’s story, which leads to them not
being proud to work for the company.
Target group
The primary target group for this concept will be the employees of Primark stores. The employees have to be proud to work at
Primark in order to have fun carrying out their job. Therefor the main goal of the concept is to make the employees proud of
Primark. The secondary target group for the concept will be the customers of Primark that follow the company on Facebook.
By letting the employees tell a story about what Primark does, the customers will know it as well.
Vision
‘’To be proud of Primark and the way it carries its responsibilities, in order to pass it on to our customers’’.
(The vision for this concept is aimed at the employees only. Because of this the rules of a good vision as
described in the canvas are not mandatory)
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Description of three touchpoints
Pre exposure
The first time Primark employees will hear about the concept is during the announcement. The concept will be announced
to the employees by sending them a traditional South Asian sewing kit by mail. In the letter that is attached, the employees
will find an invitation to join the training day. The letter doesn’t tell the employees exactly what the day is going to be like,
but gives hints of what’s about to happen. The assignment prior to the training day is to make a tiny item of clothing with
the sewing kit that is attached to the letter.
Direct exposure
Direct exposure to the concept takes place during the training day. During the day the employees will get different
trainings, workshops and information about what Primark does in the field of environment, third world labor and
education.
Post exposure
The post exposure phase takes place online. After the ‘Primark loves’ day, the employees will receive a challenge to show
what they’ve learned during the special program day. The challenge for them will be to write a short story about what
they’ve learned from this day. Their story will be posted onto the Primark Facebook page, on which the customers of
Primark that are on Facebook can up vote the best story about what Primark does. During the last phase the secondary
target group ‘customers’ is also involved through the Facebook page.
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Robin - 23 - Eindhoven
Monday, 7 pm. Robin comes home exhausted from her job. All those annoying
customers all day… Just two more years working at Primark, before I graduate as a
physical therapist and finally get a real job, she thinks to herself. She opens the
mailbox in the hall of her student residence in Eindhoven. ‘’Hey, there’s a package
for me. What’s this?’’ As she walks up to her room, she almost steps on someone’s
head. ‘Damnit, Frits’, she mumbles as she pets the large, slightly overweight ginger
cat that was sleeping on the stairs. She tears open the package as soon as she hits the
couch in her room. ‘’Huh, what’s this? A sewing kit? What the hell am I supposed to
do with that?’’ She recognizes the Primark logo on the front in the box. As she opens
the sewing kit, a piece of paper falls out. She picks it up and starts to read it. It’s an
invitation for the ‘Primark loves’ day, to learn more about Primark. ‘’Great, now I have
to invest even more of my free time in this job… But who knows, maybe it will be fun’’.
A month later, the day has come. Robin arrives at the Beursgebouw in Eindhoven
10 minutes late, slightly out of breath. ‘’Why do I always go out the night before I have obligations? When will you learn, Robin?’’, she mumbles
to herself. As she enters the large hall, she sees her colleagues, who are listening to a speech by a woman she doesn’t know. Quietly she sits down
next to Korleki, who gives her the notorious ‘have you been drinking last night?’ look. The woman gives a short introduction about what they will
be doing today. There’s going to be workshops, trainings and educational films. The first workshop Robin attends is about sewing clothes. Robin
sighs, as she remembers she hasn’t brought the tiny beanie hat that she had made for her cat with the sewing kit. The lady that did the
introduction speech as well, starts to tell about the way clothes are made in the Primark factories and how its employees are treated. She
realizes she never knew what Primark does for its employees on the other side of the world. After the lunchbreak, she attends a screening of a
film about the environmental measures that Primark takes in the countries where the stores are located and those where the clothes are made.
At the end of the day, when she hits the couch, she realizes she’s still thinking about what she learned today. She had no idea what was happening
behind the scenes… ‘‘I work at a great company. Maybe those grumpy customers aren’t that bad. After all, it’s for a good cause’’, she says to Frits,
who’s already asleep on her lap.
The next day Robin opens the mailbox. She finds a letter with the Primark logo on it, except this logo says ‘Primark loves YOU’. Back in her room
she opens it, and finds an invitation to write a story about what she had learnt during the training day yesterday. Her story will be posted on the
Primark Facebook page, where customers can vote for the best story. The winner of the contest wins a fully paid round trip through the countries
in South Asia where the Primark factories are located. Next to this, there will be a few small consolation prizes.
‘’Wow, that would be awesome!’’ she says. She starts typing immediately.
40

individual advice
Painpoint/chance
Research showed that Primark doesn’t really communicate what kind of things they all do on CSR to the target group, for
example their care for the environment and the good policy towards the working conditions for the employees in the fabrics.
What Primark says about their sustainability on their website isn’t really known at the target group. So I think this really
needs to be communicated to the customers, so that they really get to know the real story of Primark. Nowadays it is so
important to be transparent as a company and that your target group knows where your company stands for. Primark
knows where they stand for, but the problem is that the customers don’t know this.
I took this pain point for my individual advice. Also, Primark can respond to chances like communicating their policies
regarding CSR to their customers and to make a better use of social media. For me it was the challenge to find out which
communication mean is the best to inform the target group about the story and especially sustainability of Primark.
41

itt maertzdorff
Concept carrier
The target group, which is the young generation between 18 to 30 years old, doesn’t like to read long pages of text
nowadays. People get bored very soon. I would like to respond to that. Movies or pictures often excite people to watch.
For this reason, I thought of a new concept carrier; a documentary of Primark where people can watch where Primark
actually stands for. People do know that it is a big fashion store chain, but with this documentary I want to show people
that Primark is so much more than that. People get to know the real story, the story Primark knows already itself but
which has to be shown to others. People can finally watch what Primark’s policies are against child labour, working
conditions and sustainability and why they can sell their clothes for an inexpensive true price. Since Primark doesn’t
work with advertisements, this documentary can really work and be a strong way to inform the customers.
Primark shows their transparency and people will appreciate Primark more and more.
This documentary will be called ‘Primark: The unknown story’. We talk with the CEO of Primark, different customers,
the staff of Primark and with suppliers and stakeholders. But most important, the sustainability of Primark, the working
conditions in the fabrics and stories of workers will be shown. Furthermore, the history of Primark can also be told at the
beginning of the documentary as well as the biggest famous stores of Primark. The documentary will go into depth,
so the viewer will get a complete and clear image of Primark. When people say after watching ‘wow, I really didn’t
know Primark was doing this!’ the goal has been reached.
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Explanation of fit
The target group of Primark can be recognized according to the following points: young generation from 18 to
30 years old, mostly teenagers, students and young adults, fashion-conscious and mainly women. This is also the
group where I want to focus on with the documentary. What they want to see, are images and short movies, things
that provoke their senses. This works especially when the images and movies are related to fashion. Also, in the
documentary the workers in the factories are shown. These people are mainly women, so in this way the target
group can identify with them and can create a sort of sympathy for them. When looking at the vision, which has
been adjusted by our group, the documentary also fits the vision. The new vision is ‘Responsibility at all costs’ and
the documentary responds to the responsibility of Primark, since this is the main part of the documentary. This
topic will be shown completely in the documentary because their responsibility and sustainability are important
points Primark stands for.
Touchpoint 1
The first touch point will be in the shops. When a customer buys something, they get a little card in
their bag. When receiving this card, the customer will feel special to get this invitation. On this card
the name of the documentary will be placed, the documentary will be announced and a link to
Facebook will be placed on the card. When people are on the Facebook page of Primark, they can see
a short teaser of the documentary. In this teaser, the visitor will be convinced to watch the documentary
and the time and date of the documentary will also be shown.
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44

Touchpoint 2
The second touch point is the documentary itself on the television. The documentary will be shown at prime time on
a day during the week, on a television station especially for women or between series which are mainly be watched by
women. In this way, a big group of women in the target group will be reached. The documentary will take one hour
approximately. When the documentary has finished, it will also be placed on the socials and website of Primark.
Touchpoint 3
After the documentary, social media will be used again. Since a lot of people will have watched the documentary,
there will be a post on Facebook that says ‘Watched the documentary? You know we already think green, but are
you with us? Show yourself in your most sustainable and green outfit and become part of our #GreenWall!’. Since the
target group uses social media a lot, this post will work. People have to upload their most ‘green’ or sustainable outfit
of
Primark. This will give Primark more interaction on social media and it will give mouth-to-mouth communication.
People can use different hash tags, like #GreenWall, #SustainablePrimark or #GreenPrimark in their posts.
An extra touchpoint later on can be the green wall with the nicest and most creative pictures of the target group on
it that will be placed in some stores itself. In this way, people who still haven’t seen the documentary or other visitors
of Primark can see in real life that Primark cares about the environment and that they are sustainable.
Furthermore, another advantage is that the shop appearance becomes more pleasant and personal.
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46

THIS IS NINA
Hello! I am Nina, a 21 years old girl who loves everything about fashion. I live in Eindhoven where I also study, but the thing
I really love to do is blogging and looking on all kinds of social media. I have my own fashion blog where I post new outfits
and pictures every day. I get inspiration from other blogs, from my surroundings but the most inspiration I get from fashion
stores like H&M, Primark and Zara. I go to Primark because of their diversity in clothing and their cheap prices! I don’t know
another shop that is as cheap and diverse as Primark. I never leave the store without buying something; I always find a nice or
fashionable piece at Primark. Actually it is my favourite store to buy clothes. Last week, when I bought new trousers there,
I saw a little card in my bag after taking out my trousers. On the card I saw an announcement for the documentary ‘Primark:
The unknown story’. I was very excited what kind of documentary this would be and what Primark wanted to say. I felt special
for receiving this card. I only know Primark from their cheap and fashionable clothes. I got curious so I went to the Facebook
of Primark, where I saw a short teaser of the documentary. I saw some shots of Primark as a sustainable brand. I never
associated Primark with a sustainable brand, so this was very new to me but I really wanted to see the whole documentary.
A couple of days later, I saw the documentary on television. It was such a beautiful movie, I really didn’t know about Primark’s
activities in the field of working conditions and the environment. I have a lot of respect for all the things they do and I really
recommend others to watch the documentary. After having watched the documentary, I looked at the reactions on the
documentary on the Facebook page of Primark. Those were all very positive. Besides, I found a post of Primark where you
can upload your most ‘green’ or sustainable outfit. Of course I wanted to join and show my most beautiful outfit. I had a look
at my closet, picked the right outfit, made a picture and uploaded it on Facebook. I saw many others who had the same idea;
a lot of pictures were posted on the page. Three weeks later, when I visited the Primark in Eindhoven, I saw a big green wall in
the store where a lot of pictures were placed. There was standing ‘PRIMARK thinks green and you are with us’ on the wall and
I found my own picture! That was such a great moment for me. Now I appreciate Primark much more than I already did and
now I love to buy clothes since I know how my new clothing is made.
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48

VISUALISATION
For me it is difficult to visualise the documentary, but I made a moodboard
where I put some images for the look and feel of the documentary.
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individual advice
Pain point / chance
Since a few years, I occasionally visit Primark. I always thought it was just a very cheap store. I like the fact that the
clothes are very cheap and that I can buy a lot of clothes and accessories for a little amount of money. I have never
really thought about how the process of making these clothes works. The clothing is very cheap, so will the process
also be as cheap as possible? When I thought about this, I immediately thought that there was child labour involved
in the process. How else can the clothing be that cheap?
Not everyone is aware of the Corporate Social Responsibility of Primark. Primark does not communicate their
social responsibility and the way they make their clothes very openly. It is findable at their website, but only after
a good search. Primark does not have a good name; this is mainly because of the disaster in 2013 at the Rana Plaza
factory in Bangladesh. A lot of workers, which also produced for Primark, died there. Primark has set up a program
for their workers. Primark does not make use of child labour, they do not have bad working conditions for their
employees and they pay decent salaries. Primark does a lot on Corporate Social Responsibility, but they do not
communicate it. If Primark wants to get more customers and keep their customers more satisfied, they have to do
more on communicating their story to their customers.
Therefore, I chose for the pain point: “Primark doesn’t communicate what they all do on Corporate Social
Responsibility”. I also want to combine this pain point with the chance: “Communicate their good policy of
sustainability and CSR to customers”.
51

Hilde wikkerink
Improvement of the concept carrier
I have chosen for the concept carrier Communication. Communication of an organization is very
important. To make a business successful, it is important that the internal communication is good,
because good internal communication is very important for a good running external communication.
External communication aims that a company is present on the market by informing, convincing and
activating the target group.
Primark should communicate better what they all do on Corporate Social Responsibility.
First, the employees of Primark should be better informed about all the things Primark does,
concerning Corporate Social Responsibility. This is the internal communication, this is important
for a good external communication. If the employees are more aware, it is time to focus on the
customers. Inform them more about everything Primark does against child labour, low salaries and
bad working conditions.
The advice that I will give is for the external communication; the communication towards the customers.
A fun way to inform the customers is by organizing an event. This event will not only be focussing on
Primark and her fashionable and cheap clothes, but also on the story behind all the clothes. What is the
process of making clothes? Where do the clothes come from?
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“Primark behind the scenes”
The event is for the target group of Primark, people from around 18 to 30 years old. They like to visit
events and they like to shop. With an event, Primark can combine these two. The event is called Primark
behind the scenes. It is an event where the visitors can shop, but it is mainly focused on informing the
visitors about Primark behind the scenes. Primark will give open and transparent information about the
process of making clothes. There will be stands where people can watch short clips about the factories and
where they can watch positive stories of the workers. There will be different garments with an own story,
like where is it made, who made it, what where the costs. There also will be group activities and a small
workshop. The visitors can sign in for a mailing service, in exchange for a small discount. Trough this
mailing, Primark can inform the visitors about the Corporate Social Responsibility and they can survey
trough the mailing. The visitors will get a more, clear vision about Primark and they will love the fact
that it is cheap and responsible. The event can be held in the Primark stores for a more local feeling,
but also in a large building, like the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam for a national event.
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Explanation of fit
The target group are people from around 18 to 30 years old. But they are mainly young women. Young women
liked to be informed in the form of an event. An event is fun, but can also be very informing. Fun and informing
are two keywords of the Primark behind the scenes event. The visitors can take a look at the story behind the
clothes of Primark and they can actually see and feel the process of their new shirt or new pants. The visitors are
very young, so they also can relate to the workers they see in the short clips. The workers in the factories are of the
same age as the visitors. The new vision that we have created: “responsibility at all costs” fits perfectly with this idea.
Primark should be transparent and communicate their Corporate Social Responsibility to their visitors. Primark is
responsible for her own communication and event is a good way to communicate towards the target group.
The name of the event, Primark behind the scenes, shows that you can find out more about Primark.
The things you normally hear nothing about, will be told.
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The three touchpoints
Pre exposure
The visitors of Primark are the target group of the event.
The best way to reach them is in the Primark itself. When
the visitors of Primark buy something, the cashier puts a
flyer in their bag. The flyers are also at the exit, because not
every visitor of Primark will buy something. On the flyers
there is an invitation for the event. The flyer shows the title
“Primark behind the scenes”, with a small explanation of the
purpose of the event. The visitors can join the event on
Facebook for updates.
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Direct exposure
The event itself is the direct exposure. At the event, the visitors can visit different stands, see short clips and
participate in a group workshop. The visitors can also buy clothes, but the main purpose is the information
they will get about Primark and the story behind Primark. By visiting this event, the young people will be
informed about the working conditions and about the workers who make the clothes, in a fun way.
Post exposure
After the event, the visitors will receive an email about the event and a small survey about the event.
This is useful for Primark, for future events and for their network. The survey will include questions
about the event and about the thing they have learned about Primark. Did their opinion change about
Primark? The visitors can also see the pictures of the event on the Facebook page of Primark behind the
scenes.
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Meet Anna
Anna is a 22-year-old girl who lives in Arnhem, the Netherlands. She is studying Fashion at
ArteZ, the school for arts. She is currently in her second year of her study and she loves it. She
met her best friend Daisy last year at school and now they are inseparable. Anna loves her study,
but she is struggling with her money. The student life is not as cheap as she had hoped, so she
should watch her expenses. Anna is forced to buy her clothes in cheap stores and at secondhand
stores, but that is not so bad. Anna is very creative and she always knows how to make beautiful
creations out of her clothes. It is important that Anna’s clothes are durable. She also loves fair
fashion, but she hates the fact that these clothes are always so expensive.
A few weeks ago, Anna went for a shopping trip through Arnhem. Daisy went with her and
they where searching for little, cheap boutiques. Anna found a beautiful skirt and a long vest
for only 20 euros. Anna already imagined herself in this outfit; she only needed a few basics to
finish the outfit. Daisy suggested going to Primark. Daisy always buys her basics at Primark, so
she convinced Anna to go there. Anna bought a simple top and a legging. After she paid the top
and legging, Anna went home. At home she found a flyer in her bag. The flyer was an invite for
the event Primark behind the scenes. Anna read the flyer and it immediately drew her attention.
She thought Primark was only cheap fashion, made by small children on the other side of the
world. Apparently this is not the story, so Anna decided to go to the event. She also joined the
event on Facebook.
A month after Anna received the flyer, she went to the event. Anna visited the different stands
and she was surprised. She learned a lot about the process of the clothes and she found out that
Primark is not bad at all. She followed the ‘life’ of a trouser. She didn’t even know that the process
was that long! Anna filled in her email address and with the 15 per cent discount she shopped a
little.
A few days later Anna received an email. The email gave information about the event and a link
to a survey. Anna filled in the survey, because it was only two minutes of her time. In the email
was also a link to the Facebook page of the Event. Anna remembered that someone took her
picture, so she looked through the pictures on Facebook. Anna ‘liked’ her picture and she visited
the website for more information about Primark.
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individual advice
Introduction
The concept carrier I have chosen is physical environment. I chose this carrier because it scored
the color yellow on our canvas, which is not that good, but also not that bad. In order to write
the individual analysis, I went to take a visit to Primark in Eindhoven. The things that I noticed,
which was obviously hard not to, are the amount of people in Primark. The biggest group of
customers were teenage girls, the rest of the people there were women in their twenties. I
went to Primark on a Saturday in the afternoon, and it was extremely busy. If you wanted to
try anything on, you had to wait in a very long queue. If you just want to try a few items on,
I can imagine you will not have the patience to wait for so long, it is a major waste of time.
The rest of the shop is very messy, and quite minimalistic. The minimalism might fit the
concept, but the mess does not. Imaginable, the employees from Primark have to deal with
so many customers on a daily base that it is nearly impossible for them to try to keep it tidy
and neat. They simply do not have the time. The cash register has a good system, it is easy
and quite fast compared to the queues for the fitting rooms. There are always enough cash
registers available to pay, and they call when there is a cash register free and the next client
can come. This system works, and is very efficient, however it is very un-personal and
somewhat rude. Whenever you want to pay your items, it is possible by the blink of an eye,
but if you want to try the clothes before you buy them, this nearly seems impossible.
Overall the physical environment quite fits the concept and one-liner of Primark.
It looks almost like a fabric, but not necessarily in a bad way. However, there needs to
be a serious improvement in the shops regarding the queues for the fitting rooms and
the mess of the shops.
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lisa hachmang
Description of improved concept carrier
A lot of the complains when people go to a Primark, is that it is too busy and crowded. When customers want to try something
on, they have to wait in line for very long, that most of the time they do not have the patience, and most importantly the time.
Some might consider it is a very powerful thing that Primark does not have an online shop, because people actually go to the
stores to get the clothes. It might work like this a bit, yet I believe people would make more sales at Primark if they had an online
shop since you do not have to wait in line for anything and you can order it whenever you want to or have time. Also, there are
not that many Primark shops in The Netherlands. The biggest part of the people have to actually travel to go to Primark, which
probably is not even that much worth it, you can find cheap and fashionable clothes at H&M in your own city as well.
Online shop
Primark will launch their online webshop where people can buy their clothes, accessories, shoes and more. With this online shop,
the physical shops get the chance to be better organized. Since the employees have to work under a lot of pressure due to the
many customers they receive, it will make their attitude at work less good. They are annoyed and tired from dealing with these big
crowds. Once the online shop will be launched, the employees get the chance to take more time to keep the stores neat and tidy
and to help the customers. The queues will be shorter and the customer experience will be more pleasant. The online shop will be
in the same style and colors as the website, and showing all the things they can supply.
App
There will be an app launched along with the online webshop. In order to enter this app, you have to make a personal account,
and this personal account can also be used for the online shop and vice versa. On the app, you can see all the things Primark sells
(same as on the webshop) and make a wishlist. You can enter this wish list at any time on the app or on the online Primark shop.
There will be information about all the Primarks’ in the Netherlands, such as the address and the timetables of the shops. In the
app, there is a game available. In this game you can style yourself or your friends with the clothes and all that Primark has. It
works like this: You scan your face in the app via the camera on your phone, and you get a version of yourself on the app.
You chose a body type that fits you best and then you can dress yourself anyway you want to. If you share this with your
friends, and they sign up too, there will be more clothes available for you to style yourself, or in this case your friends with.
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Explanation of fit
As shown in the outcomes of the analysis, physical environment could use a bit of improvement.
Therefore I have chosen as painpoint and chance:
+ Create an online webshop
- Busy and massive stores that give a cheap, factory like look
As seen in the analysis, the physical environment does not contribute to a better customer
experience. In fact, it makes the customer experience less good. Of course it might be nice to
go to the stores once in a while, but most of the people comment on it being so busy they almost
go crazy, and it is not worth going there.
Target group
The target group for the online webshop are all the customers and all the possible customers of Primark.
This can be male, female, young or old. However, it is good to stick close to the target audience of Primark
and that is 18 to 30 years old.The app has the same target group, but the game within the app is more focussed
on the teenage customers of Primark between the age of 12-19. This is a actually a big target audience in the
Netherlands, since there are always many teeange girls in groups in Primark. Since they have a small budget
to spend, but they still want to keep up with fashion, Primark is a great option for them to buy their clothes.
While using the game they will be more excited about the clothes of Primark and share this with their friends.
With the possibility of shopping online now, this makes it easy for them to buy something, and there is a low
barrier.
Vision
‘’We believe that customer is king at Primark, and we strive to create the best customer experience possible.’’
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Description of three touchpoints
Pre-exposure
Primark will release the launch of the online webshop and app a month in advance. Primark will announce this to the
press, to several newspapers and magazines. Also, it will be announced on their website with a banner. On the banner
online, there will be a countdown of the days until the app and website simultaneously get launched. The employees
within Primark receive the news via a personal e-mail, and they will get access to the online shop and app just a bit
before the rest of the world. In this way the employees feel special, and they get a feeling of taking part in this movement.
Also, there will be some shop discounts online for employees.
Direct exposure
The online shop and app have been launched now and it is available in the app stores. You can access the website from
any device, and the app from your smartphone and computer. People who have a users name and use the app and online
shop, get a discount of 10% on the purchase they make online the first month.
Post exposure
Whenever customers made a purchase online, they build up a little credit, such as a bonus card. Once you get to a certain
amount of points, you get a voucher with discount that you can give to someone else or use the next time when purchasing
online. Everytime someone buys something online, they will receive an e-mail on their e-mail address about the points they
have and how to trace the status of their purchases.
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Nova - 16 years old - Tilburg
‘’Oh my god you really have to try those clothes on Jenny, they will look so cute
on you!’’ Nova shouds to Jenny in a busy Primark. Jenny agrees with her and they
walk over to the fitting rooms. “No way, how many people are waiting here? This
will take hours…’’ a disappointed and not so pleasantly suprised Nova says. A few
hours later she arrives home in Tilburg after a busy day of shopping in Eindhoven.
It was a lot of fun with her best friend Jenny, and they always love to go to Primark
because of the cheap prices. Nova gets a bit wound up because of the amount of
people that are always present in Primark, especially in front of the fitting rooms,
it makes the shopping a lot less fun if they have to wait to long just to try the clothes
on. She wishes the store could be more quiet or there be another way to buy the
clothes… She goes online to search for the Primark website to see if some of the
items that she wanted to buy are still being offered or are not in stores anymore.
When she gets on the Primark website the banner pops into her eye: Just 28 days
until the online shop and app. Wait what? Is this for real? Will there finally be a
webshop and an app?! She clicks on the banner and reads the information. ‘’Thank
god, no more waiting in line to fit the clothes I want to buy!’’ she says to herself
enthousiasticly. Twenty-eight days later the moment is there. Nova is waiting behind her computer to see the launch of the online
webshop and app, she is so curious to see what it will be and look like! Countdown 3,2,1.... And there is the link to the online shop!
She clicks on it and goes to the online webshop. ‘’Finally! I can see all my favorite items and buy them when I want! Oh that dress
looks to cute, I will definitely buy that’’ she thinks to herself. After looking on the online webshop she is actually also a bit curious
about the app. She expects it to be the same as the webshop, but maybe it has a bit more to it. Whens she enters the app with her
user name she spots the heading which says ‘’game’’. She clicks on there and goes to a game where she can scan her face and choose
a body type that is like hers, and actually dress herself with the Primark collection clothes. ‘’Haha, this is definitely kind of funny.
And actually...easy as well. It looks quite realistic so I can make nice combinations or see if a dress fits me or not.’’ Nova says. She
puts an outfit together for herself that she loves, and makes a print screen on her phone to send to her friends. After she takes the
screen shot she sees the heading ‘share with your friends’ and clicks on it. ‘’Ha! When I send this link to my friends and they sign
up as well I get access to more clothes and accessories? Sounds great to me! Oh and Jenny will absolutely love this!’’ Nova says. Once
Nova goes back to the online webshop, she decides to buy the dress she liked and a pair of shoes to go with it. Right after she has
ordered, she receives an e-mail from Primark. In the e-mail a point system is explained which she joins automatically when
ordering something from Primark, and also she can trace her purchases. ‘’Well Primark, I am happily suprised. I was almost
about to never come in to the store and also not buy anything anymore but in this way… I will definitely join the Primania’’
she laughs to herself.
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individual advice
Pain point
I have chosen to advice on improvement of the customer service by using a communication channel
to affect the physical environment, also the communication channel will make it easier for Primark to
reach their target group in a relatively cheap way. The implementation of the ‘Colour you company’
model on Primark showed a couple of pain points and chances. One of these pain points is the huge
waiting queue at the fitting rooms. When looking at the customer service in conjunction with the
physical environment the conclusion can be drawn that the crowdedness of Primark gives a bad
influence on the shopping experience of the customer. In this matter the huge queues at the fitting
rooms are the biggest annoyances.
On the internet a lot of reviews can be found about shopping at Primark. A lot of people state that
they hate the waiting queue at the fitting rooms at Primark. Also, when finding articles or blogs from
people about shopping at Primark, there is no single chance that the waiting queue at the fitting rooms
is not mentioned.
Furthermore, according to a survey among 2000 women aged between 18 and 30 years old (target
group of Primark), the biggest annoyance while shopping are the queue’s at the fitting rooms (Wachtrij
bij pashokjes grootste ergernis, 2007). No less than Thirty-three percent (!) of the respondents chose the
queue’s at the fitting rooms for their biggest annoyance while shopping. The second biggest annoyance
was the crowdedness of the shop (16%). The third biggest annoyance was unfriendly staff (12%).
Unfortunately those three are all points on which Primark didn’t score well.
65

yoeri sweep
Description of new concept carrier
To make sure that customers leave Primark with a satisfied and positive feeling some things need to
change. Of course Primark still is a very popular shop, but it could even be more popular if some
things would be changed. A lot of people on the internet and in real life complain about some of
Primark’s shortcomings, Primark needs to prevent that this will become bigger in time. One of the
major issues is the queues at the fitting rooms.
At this point customers at Primark can easily stand in line for 30 to 60 minutes, which is a way to long
time. There is a lot to do in a time scope like that. Because of that I have done a lot of brainstorming on
how to shorten the waiting time and how to make waiting more pleasant. A lot of creative ideas came
forward but they all had their downsides too. I figured that I was thinking in a too difficult way, because
sometimes there is a much easier solution to a problem than we figure. I thought about the queue at for
example the pharmacy where everyone needs to grab a ticket with a number on it and you need to wait
until it’s your turn. When there are a lot of numbers to go, sometimes I leave the pharmacy to walk
around the mall and return to check every now and then if it is almost my turn. Because of the ticketing
system requires a lot of paper it isn’t really responsible and that doesn’t fit Primark’s new vision that we
created for them (Responsibility at all costs).
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Primark application
The idea that I came up with was to create a smartphone application. This does cost some money to develop, but smartphone applications
are becoming cheaper to develop day by day; it isn’t as expensive anymore as in the early days. The idea is that customers need to download
the Primark application on their Smartphone, with their smartphone they are able to choose their Primark location (or by location telephone).
With the application they are able to ‘purchase’ (free) a fitting room ticket on their app; it works the same as for example in a pharmacy, the
fitting room ticket is a number. At the time of ‘purchasing’ the estimated waiting time is displayed, for example approximately 40 minutes, in
that way customers can choose when to ‘purchase’ the ticket so that they are finished shopping at approximately the same time that they can
enter the fitting room. The latest number to enter the fitting room is always displayed on the application and throughout the store (on the
walls), also the approximate (personal) waiting time on your application chances as time goes by. This is because the approximate waiting
time can vary because some people are very quick while fitting and some are very slow. An alarm or push notification can be set with a
chosen approximate number of minutes to go. A notice is displayed on the app, that if someone doesn’t show up in 1 minute time the number
will be deleted and the next number is able to enter. In that way customers need to be there in time, otherwise the queues will only take longer.
Of course there are always customers that don’t have a smartphone or from which the phone is empty, because of that it is also possible to get
a printed ticket from the fitting room counter. However Primark advises against this in their communication, because of the use of paper.
The application is mainly meant for the concept as mentioned above. But the application will also contain information about the CSR
involvement of Primark and is also able to send a push notification about new products or deals. The application also supports the camera,
after a visit to the fitting room (day after) a push notification will ask you to show your new outfit (make photo), when submitted it is possible
that the photo will show up on Primark’s website or social media.
Customers are also able to delete their number, in case they don’t need to try anything on after all.
Note: Now that people don’t have to wait in the queue anymore it would also be a huge chance for Primark to start a lunchroom near the
fitting rooms. Here people can wait in a relaxed Burgundian way while having a drink and snack until it is their chance to fit their clothes.
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Explanation of fit
The carrier does not collide with the vision, the (new) vision states: Responsibility at
all costs. There is some usage of paper, but this will be very minimal because Primark
encourages the target group to download the Primark application. Also the target group
is using their smartphone throughout the whole day and will most likely download the
application immediately when they read/hear about it.
The target group fits with the carrier perfectly. As research had shown (as mentioned
before) women from 18 to 30 chose the waiting queue at a fitting room to be the number
one annoyance while shopping. The target group of Primark are mainly women from the
age 18 to 30. They don’t like to wait in queue but they do like to search the shop a little
further or to have a drink or a snack.
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Pre exposure
The first month of the application employees will hand out flyers while entering the shop with information about the new
fitting room system. Inside the shop there is signing on the floor and on a lot of pillars about the fitting queue application and
how it works, also while entering the shop there is a huge billboard with information about it. The main message states: ‘Do
you also get annoyed while waiting in the queue for a long time? At Primark that’s history, download our new app and avoid
waiting!’ The flyers include a QR-code to instantly download the application. The big posters also have an NFC-tag to instantly
download the application. After a while customers will have probably already seen it on Social Media or will have heard it from a
friend.
Direct exposure
The direct exposure is the app itself, the app will provide the customer of the approximated waiting time if purchasing a ticket
now, if a ticket is already purchased the app will provide the customer of the personal approximated waiting time. Also the last
number to enter is displayed on the wall, the approximated waiting time if purchasing a ticket now is also shown on the wall.
Post exposure
After visiting the fitting room the application will send a push notification once in a while. A few examples of push notifications:
- Do you know where our products come from? Watch this exciting clip
Every time a bit of Primark’s story is told, this is done to make information
exciting and new and also to keep size of the app to a minimum
- Ever wondered why Primark uses paper bags?
Every time a bit of Primark’s story is told, this is done to make information
exciting and new and also to keep size of the app to a minimum
- Did you succeed shopping with us and would you like to share your new
outfit with the rest of the world?
Opens the application with the possibility to open the camera and make a
picture with the new outfit, this can be shared on social media by both parties
- All swimwear just € 8,-!
Shows a new sale or product
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Kim - 24 years old - Tilburg
Kim is really looking forward to the weekend, because she is going to have a fun weekend with her girlfriends. It has took such a
long time for them to finally find a date in which they can all participate the weekend. They do something like this every year, all
her girlfriends live in different cities now, because they are either working or studying in a different city. They all used to live in
Tilburg. This time they are going to Eindhoven, first they are going to shop in the city and hopefully they will find something cute
for the night. Because afterwards they will have a nice dinner in the city centre and then they will go to a club and spend the night
in a hotel.
Finally it is Saturday, the day that Kim has been waiting for for such a long time! Kim and her friends agreed to meet on the
station of Eindhoven. After greeting each other on the station the girls went right away and walked down to the city centre.
“Yes!” They all screamed staring at Primark. “It is such a pity that there is no Primark in my city.” Kim said. It is so nice that
it is so close to the station she thought. “Yes, that is true, it is a pity. There isn’t any in mine neither. But on the other hand
Primark really drives me crazy, I would be such a negative person if Primark would be close to my home, I always get out
totally irritated because of the big queues. Once I really had to wait for 90 minutes to try my clothes on!” Kim’s friend Roos
said. “Yes, but that was probably on a Saturday..” Kim countered. “What day is it now braniac?” Roos countered immediately.
“Omg haha, that was so stupid, but we have got the time. Let’s hope it is not too crowded” Kim said.
When the girls went inside an employee gave them a flyer and told them to read it carefully because it would safe them a lot
of time. At first the girls were sceptical and whispered things to each other like: “Primark saving me a lot of time, this must be
the joke of the year”. Quickly putting it in their bags without reading it while stumbling into the store, suddenly they saw some
big posters saying: ‘Do you also get annoyed while waiting in the queue for a long time? At Primark that’s history, download our
new app and avoid waiting!’
This really triggered them to read the poster and the flyer. “Shit just got real” Lisa said, trying to be funny. The girls laughed,
some out of decency some for real. “So girls, we need to download this application! With the app you are able to get your ticket
for the fitting room and you can see when your turn is. That is so cool, then we can just go on shopping for a bit while ‘waiting’!”
Kim and Lisa shouted in unison. The girls quickly downloaded the application by scanning the QR-code on the flyer.
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After a lot of shopping the girls only had the underwear floor left to check. The girls gave a view on
the wall while walking to the escalator. “Look at that!” Roos shouted. “A forty-five minute queue again!
Let’s quickly purchase a ticket, and then we can check the underwear floor while waiting” Lisa quickly
replied. The girls all quickly purchased their own number for the queue. “We need to keep an eye on
the app, because if you are more than a minute late they will drop your number it says.” Kim
mentioned. “If you just don’t forget your number you can also see which number was last on the wall,
then you do not have to check your phone the whole time. We can just go there if there are like 5 or
10 numbers to go. Because we need to be in time” Lisa replied. “Now we can even go to Primark for
a quick shop, just purchase your number when you are walking to Primark and then like 40 minutes
later you can already fit your clothes. That’s cool, that was never possible at Primark” Roos added.
“My phone says 5 minutes to go; I think I’ll better go to the queue before the number gets dropped.
Are you coming?” Kim asked her friends. Her friends came with her, when they arrived at the fitting
rooms Kim could enter in a minute; the others didn’t have to wait much longer. “You guys know what
would be one hell of an idea? Having a lunchroom next to the fitting rooms, then you can just enjoy
a drink and a snack with your friends after shopping for hours and while waiting to fit the clothes.”
Kim said while walking to the checkout.
While passing the employee, that told them about the new app hours ago, Lisa said on a fairly high
tone “By the way this girl was right! This saved me such a lot of waiting time, but it certainly didn’t
save me money.” Lisa said while laughing, trying to be funny again. The employee laughed, certainly
out of decency.
After a few days the girls received a push notification Lisa and Roos received one asking if they
succeeded at Primark and if they would like to show them their new (favourite) outfit. Roos thought it was a fun idea but it was not something
for her to do. Lisa immediately put on her new outfit and made a photo, unfortunately it was spilled with red wine from later that evening.
Kim and het other friends received a push notification asking if they ever wondered why Primark uses paper bags. They were very curious because
they had no single clue and immediately pushed the notification to see what the reasons were. It was fun for them to learn why Primark uses this
and it made them feel better about their purchased clothes. The girls were all quickly informed because they all shared their experiences in their
WhatsApp group. When Lisa told them she used the by red wine soaked clothes to make a picture the girls were all laughing out loud.
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colour
your
company
Yoeri Sweep Hilde Wikkerink Lisa Hachmang Britt Maertzdorff Carly Manders