In a huge new trial, Primark will same-day clothes repair and alterations at its Manchester Market Street store. The high street fashion chain has partnered with care and repair firm The Seam, with customers offered to meet The Seam maker to discuss their appointment. They can then leave their clothes for 20 to 30 minutes to be fixed. The service will run on the lower ground floor of the store every Friday from September 26 to December 19.
Customers will be able to return on the same day for the fixed item. Prices will start from just £3, up to a maximum of £10 for simple services, and Primark will subsidise the cost of the service to make it more affordable.
The fashion chain is already offering Love It For Longer repair workshops and online tutorials, teaching customers to repair clothes at home.
Primark product longevity lead Vicki Swain said: “We want to make simple clothing repairs and alterations easier to access and more affordable for our customers and we’re excited to see what this partnership with The Seam will bring to local shoppers in Manchester.
“Simple repairs are a great way to make clothes longer lasting and we know there’s growing demand for it.
“We are looking forward to the response in our Manchester Market Street store and seeing its potential as an important fixture on the high street.”
Around 42% of people admitted they threw away clothes they’d prefer to keep because they couldn’t find a way to get them repaired, according to environmental charity WRAP. Almost a quarter of shoppers also said that the cost of repairs was a major reason they chose not to fix their clothes.
John Lewis also expanded its repair and alteration service in partnership with Timpsons to all 36 of its stores in April. Customers can drop off their clothing, accessories or certain homeware items to be cleaned, repaired or altered in any of its stores.
The service includes fashion and homeware repairs and alterations, dry cleaning and handbag restoration. Homeware items include duvets, bedding, curtains, and rug cleaning. Prices start from £11, making it more expensive than Primark. However, My John Lewis loyalty members can claim 5% off all single repair services as part of an ongoing offer.
