Key facts
- Primark will launch UK home deliveries by December 2027, about two years earlier than planned.
- Primark is buying a robot-assisted Sheffield warehouse from Debenhams and will take it over by mid-2027.
- Primark sales rose 4% to £9.8bn in the year to September 12, 2026.
- Primark profits fell 10% to £1bn as price cuts and marketing weighed on margins.
- Sales at established UK stores rose 0.5%, while mainland Europe fell 4.7% and the US dropped 2.6%.
- ABF intends to spin off Primark in December 2027.
Primark will begin home deliveries in the UK by December 2027, its owner Associated British Foods said, after profits at the discount fashion chain fell 10% to £1bn in the year to September 12, 2026. George Weston, the boss of ABF, said the company had brought the launch forward by about two years.
The retailer said it accelerated the plan by buying a robot-assisted warehouse in Sheffield from Debenhams, the owner of Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and Karen Millen. Primark will take over the site by the middle of 2027 and is preparing suppliers to ship individual orders as well as bulk store deliveries.
Primark already runs a UK click and collect service, rolled out gradually since 2022, but does not offer it in mainland Europe. The chain has 511 stores in 21 countries and intends to extend home delivery to mainland Europe after the UK launch, without giving a timeframe.
Primark had previously said home delivery could not be profitable, but Weston said delivery and returns charges could now cover most logistics costs. He said research showed the service would attract new shoppers rather than shift store sales online. "We now know there's a group of shoppers who don't reject Primark but just don't use us very often as they are too far away from a store or prefer to shop online," he said.
Sales rose 4% to £9.8bn, led by new store openings. Sales at established UK stores rose 0.5%, fell 4.7% in mainland Europe and dropped 2.6% in the US as shoppers cut clothing spending amid higher energy and fuel bills. Primark said improved ranges, price cuts and more marketing helped the UK and are being extended to Europe.
Weston said Shein was taking only a "little bit" of market share, with more competition coming from retailers that combine online and stores. ABF plans to spin off Primark in December 2027, separating it from its sugar and food business, which includes Twinings teas, Blue Dragon flavourings and Jordans cereals.