You’ve been shopping at Primark all wrong – five ways to bag a bargain including new website trick

PRIMARK is home to plenty of value products, but there’s more ways to bag a bargain at the high street store than you might realise.

You might have been doing your clothes shopping all wrong this whole time – but don’t worry, we’ve come up with four tricks to get more bang for your buck.

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The budget fashion retailer has been going since the 60s, and there’s over 188 stores in the UK for keen shoppers to visit.

If they want to find the very best deals though, they’ll have to keep an eye out for ‘secret’ sales whilst they’re there, plus opportunities to haggle, and more.

We’ve narrowed down some of these ways to bag a bargain, so you can make the most out of your next shop.

But remember it’s not a bargain unless you were planning on buying it anyway.

It also might be worth shopping around a bit before splashing out – other retailers could have similar products on sale that are even cheaper.

To help, you can use price comparison tools like Google Shopping to find a better offer.

For now though, here’s how you can bag a Primark bargain:

‘Secret’ sales

Primark fans always know to dive in the bargain rail if they’re after money-off products in-store, but there could be ‘secret’ sale items lurking around the rest of the store and throughout the year.

One ex Primark worker told The Sun: “Don’t just stick to the sale section.”

Often Primark bosses will knock a few quid off their everyday essentials based on the time of the year.

Things like jeggings are an all-year round item but in the summer months when it starts to get hot, they might be slashed in price to make way for new stock.

“The same goes for vests, jeans and T-shirts.” the ex worker previously told The Sun.

“And if something isn’t selling as well as they thought, they’ll normally reduce it by 50p or £1 to try and clear it.

Bigger flagship stores in particular will always have an influx of stock, so as new items come in, older products taking up space might be heavily discounted.

Look for jumpers in the summer and shorts and dresses in the winter as they’re out of season and likely to be discounted.

Don’t ask, don’t get

Don’t be afraid to outright ask for discounts. The worst staff can say is no.

Typically if you pick up an item with a defect or foundation mark or similar, you can simply ask for a discount – just explain it’s not quite up to scratch.

Ex Primark employees have revealed to The Sun in the past that it can be pretty standard practice for branches to offer 10% off a damaged or faulty item.

But keep in mind that if they do this, it often makes the item non-refundable so if you won’t be able to change your mind and return it to get your money back.

It’s also not guaranteed to work and you might not be able to get the item cheaper.

It’ll be up to the manager’s discretion, but don’t ask, and you definitely won’t get.

Unfortunately Primark doesn’t offer staff discount, so worker’s don’t get automatic deals either.

That looks familiar…

Primark’s budget garments are a cheap way to refresh your wardrobe with plenty of items from its exclusive range.

But the store can be a great place to look for a cheaper version of something you’ve seen elsewhere too.

Fans have spotted that plenty of items from the retailer that pose a striking resemblance to other pricier products on the market.

Pick up a cheaper dupe and your friends might not even be able to tell the difference.

On TikTok fans have likened the stores make-up range, in particular, to major established named like Charlotte Tilbury, Estee Lauder and more.

One user who goes by the name Unpakked on the viral video sharing app, compared high end brand Benefit’s mascara to Primark’s cheaper look-a-like that she picked up in-store.

The Benefit wand was £25 to buy which could be out of budget for most shoppers.

But Primark’s copy cost only £3, so fans making the swap to the dupe could save as much as £22, and the TikToker described it as “not bad at all” for a cheaper, almost identical match.

Buy online

If you don’t want to face rummaging through Primark’s bargain bins or stand in the long snaking queues, you could just walk out the door and order online instead.

The only problem is, Primark doesn’t let you order online – though you can browse its products.

But savvy shoppers could head to Amazon instead – as the online giant stocks plenty of Primark’s products.

That means you could get some of the same goodies at their low price sent straight to your door, and if you are an Amazon Prime member, benefit from free delivery too.

You could also have a look at what sellers on Depop or Vinted are charging for second hand Primark goods.

A lot of the time you’ll find that sellers flog barely worn Primark clothes at half their full price so it’s a good way to get the same products for less.

But sometimes they might hike the price too – especially if it’s something in high demand, or has sold-out – so keep that in mind while you’re shopping online.

New website

Primark has launched a new website, allowing shoppers to check stock levels at their local stores for the first time ever.

This means you can browse online and make sure you head to a branch that has the style and size you need.

There are thousands more products displayed on its website now, too, so you can get a better look at the current collections.

More product information is available, including fabrics and materials.

It is planning to roll out more features in the coming months, including customer accounts, a newsletter, and the ability to create a wish list.

However, fans of the budget retailer still won’t be able to buy online.

Primark might not be the only place you could score a better bargain – you could have been doing your Tesco shopping all wrong too – but don’t worry we’ve got all the tips you need to know.

The same goes for retail giant Ikea – we reveal how to make your cash go further on furniture from the brand.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk