Vocable All English – 11 July 2019

(^24) • VOCABLE Du 11 juillet au 4 septembre 2019  facile A2-B1 /  moyen B2-C1 /  difficile C1-C2
EnjeuxI^ Économie^ I^ ROYAUME-UNI^ I^ ^ B2-C1
PRIMARK: CHEAP AND CHEERFUL
Primark's cheap chic (cheerful hap py)
Primark is doing better than ever. The Irish company specialising in low prices clothes is now well established in the United
Kingdom, where it is enjoying very healthy profits. While other major British ready-to-wear groups are collapsing – starting with
the emblematic Debenhams – Primark is expanding, just having opened the largest clothes store in the world, in Birmingham.
Recipe for unparalleled success.

O

n a sunny morning in Birmingham

city centre, Charlene Powell is stand-

ing guard over four carrier bags. They are not all

hers, she says hastily. She has come shopping with

her mum, but between them they have done well

THE GUA R DI A N GABY HINSLIFF

out of their trip to the city’s new Primark megas-

tore, a five-floor retail palace that was named by

Guinness World Records as the biggest clothing

store in the world when it was unveiled in April.

“I’m going on a hen night, so I’ve been trying to

find some bits and pieces for that. And I’ve got

some bits for my son because they sell all the

Fortnite stuff in there,” says the 30-year-old from

Kidderminster. Charlene hasn’t shopped in Pri-

mark much before, but she is coming back. 

1. to stand, stood, stood guard over to be next to and
   watch over / carrier (bag) shopping bag / hastily quickly
   / to do, did, done well out of to have a successful time
   (during) /

megastore big shop / -floor -level, -storey / retail

shopping / clothing clothes, fashion / to unveil to open,

to inaugurate / hen night (= party) party for a woman

who is going to get married /

bits and pieces various small things / stuff things,

clothes, merchandise.

SUPPLÉMENT VIDÉO

Découvrez le reportage vidéo sur le plus grand magasin

Primark du monde, qui a ouvert ses portes à Birmingham

en avril dernier, et testez votre compréhension sur

http://www.vocable.fr/videos-anglais

Primark outlet in Chelmsford, Essex. (High Level/REX/Shutterstock/SIPA)

Birmingham

AA 24-25-806-Isa.indd 24 27/06/2019 15:48