Primark moves to make its kids clothing more inclusive

• Primark introduces small changes designed to make extra comfort as standard, addressing some of the biggest sensory challenges many children face with clothing.
• Changes include removing neck labels from over 50 percent of kids clothing and introducing a range of seamless socks for kids following parent feedback.

Primark is to bring more inclusive and considered features into its kidswear as standard, so more kids feel comfortable and good in their clothes. These changes will be built into core ranges, helping to make clothes that feel right from the start. As a first step, the retailer will move away from neck labels across its kids clothing and nightwear as well as introducing seamless sock options.

After hearing from parents and carers about some of the sensory challenges associated with traditional clothing features, Primark is aiming to address and remove barriers when it comes to kids clothing so its ranges work harder for more people. This move builds on the retailer’s wider commitment to becoming a more accessible place to shop and work, following the launch of its adaptive men’s and women’s fashion range earlier this year.

Across its kids ranges, Primark is removing neck labels from the backs of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and pyjamas. Ahead of the back-to-school season, hundreds of its most popular tops and nightwear options will now come with printed neck labels. This means more than 50 percent of Primark’s kids clothing will now be neck label free, including almost 70 percent of pyjamas, with an ambition to keep increasing this further.

Seams in socks were also identified as another common source of discomfort. In response, Primark is introducing a range of seamless and flat seam socks designed to make it easy to have a whole week of comfortable options to hand.

Speaking on the changes, Ann Marie Cregan, Trading Director at Primark said: “We want all kids to feel great in their clothes, so they can focus on what matters – being themselves. This isn’t about creating a new and special range, it’s about improving our kids’ clothes, thinking about inclusive design from the very start and removing or sometimes adding features, so that they work harder for more children and families. We’ve started with removing neck labels and introducing more seamless socks – small changes that we heard from parents could make a big difference. Our kids clothing already represents the best value on the high street and we know how important this is right now. We will continue to listen to parents to understand what more we can do.”

Primark has focused these changes on some of its most-loved products to deliver maximum comfort where it matters. By selecting styles made from soft fabrics like 100% cotton t-shirts and tops; to everyday sweatshirts and joggers, the retailer aims to make every day dressing that little bit simpler, all at the prices it is famous for.

Customers can look out for ‘Extra Comfort’ signage in store which includes symbols to show whether the product has no neck label. To help make it even easier to browse online, the retailer is rolling out a filter for ‘sensory friendly’ kidswear options when browsing the Primark website. In Great Britain, this means those ordering for Click & Collect can easily find these items with extra comfort features and order online before collecting in store for free.

Primark has also begun the rollout of sensory friendly shopping Hours in selected stores across Great Britain. Now in 26 locations across the East and West Midlands and North East, stores will operate with reduced noise, no till sounds or in-store announcements for the first hour of opening every Saturday. Additional assistance is also available in store, with champions easy to spot in a purple vest. The retailer aims to roll out the shopping hour to further stores in the UK early next year.