Primark defy High Street doomsday threat and now they’re going to America!

Death of the high street? Someone forgot to tell Primark!

Primark is going to America.

News that a Primark mega-store will open in Boston next year has created a buzz on the other side of the pond.

Their Paris store opened last month. And though style commentators thought it may be a step too far for the stack-em-high-and-sell-em-cheap experts, a queue of hundreds formed before doors opened and a second store has now followed suit.

It may be the home of chic and couture, but those Parisians aren’t so daft it seems they can’t resist a bargain either.

Along with the US launch, a hefty rise in profits was announced. Owners Assoc-iated British Foods reported Primark and its Irish cousin Penneys saw an impressive 26% rise in profits to £298 million. Austerity what’s that then?

We’re forever hearing about the death of the high street and the rise of internet shopping, but not at Primark.

You can’t even buy a pair of socks online from them. You have to go to the effort of visiting the stores and having a good old-fashioned rummage.

Their short-lived trial with internet shopping a partnership with online giant Asos ended last year and Primark’s financial director John Bason admits there are currently no plans to sell online.

Cheap-as-chips prices are a big factor in Primark’s success but that’s only part of its secret.

They can take catwalk fashion from high-end designers out of reach to the vast majority of shoppers and produce their own adaptations super-quick.

That really gives them the edge and they’ve even been known to adapt styles from high street competitors.

While other stores are still dreaming up copycat looks, Primark is having its versions ship-ped to shops, ready to be snapped up by the masses.

Sure, the quality is inferior, the materials and the cut not so good, but it seems the average Primark shopper simply doesn’t care.

It drives the super-snobby fashion industry mad, of course. Top designers find it an insult to their art, dahling, that you can buy versions of their designs in such a down-market fashion destination.

In these tough times, there’s been a shift in cons-umer attitudes, too. Whereas once people might have cut the labels out and not exactly shouted from the rooftops about their latest bargain from Primark, now people are proud to model their latest £20 dress and post it on online.

Primark has been sued for its cheeky copycat stunts.

Interestingly though, it’s been other high street brands, rather than top designers, who have gone down the legal route both Monsoon and Superdry have won cases against Primark, who were duly fined.

It’s ironic that Primark announced such huge profits almost a year to the day after the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed 1,100 people.

Primark used the factory to produce garments and has paid £6 million in comp-ensation.

That profits announcement also came in the same week of Fashion Revolution day, aimed at getting people to think about where their clothes come from and to ultimately raise standards in global garment factories.

Very laudable. But the fact is, to most shoppers looking for wear-once fashion for a night out, Bangladesh seems a long way off.

Rumour has it if you work on fashion bible Vogue, you can shop in Primark but you can only wear what you’ve bought there to the Vogue office once!

Celeb fans include Holly Willoughby and singer Rita Ora.

During the credit crunch, Joan Collins bought three sweaters in Primark and said she loved it. She claimed: “I can’t afford couture.” Welcome to our world, Joan!

Fashion bible Women’s Wear Daily reported in 2012 that a fake Primark store had opened in Dubai.