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PENNEY’S OPENED ITS first store on Mary Street in Dublin in June 1969 and since then, its parent company Primark, has expanded to the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Germany and Belgium.
Yes, French people get to experience the joy of the Penney’s overspend, the not bothering to return the ill-fitting top they didn’t try on because it was only a fiver and start receiving compliments with the response, ‘Thanks, Penney’s’.
Although these expansions are pretty fresh, it was way back in the 1970s that the company started making tracks to sell Irish goods abroad, government documents released recently have proven.
In May 1979, Managing Director of Primark Ireland wrote to the Taoiseach to bring to his “personal attention” those efforts being made.
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He explained that an Irish/Israeli export company had been formed and that they had a “full time man” promoting Irish goods with trace contacts in the Middle East.
“At the moment, this is in its infancy,” he said, “And we hope to be selling whiskey, biscuits and cakes to Israel and Egypt within the next 12 months.”
In a five year period, the company exported goods worth over £2.5 million to the UK and Northern Ireland, he added.
Altogether now, “THANKS, PENNEY’S.”
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If it wasn’t for Penney’s and aldi the people of Ireland would be naked and starving
@ Kevin….. Hahaha.
True lol
Amen, amen!! It’s aldi aldi aldi alllll the way!!
Legend. Most green thumbs I’ve ever seen.
Haha wow! Never seen so many green thumbs!
if it wasn’t for exploitation in Bangladesh and the likes ya mean!
Penney’s got a whole lot of things for Christmas”
Sing it now
I don’t know what you mea..
The part of my comment where I humorously sing the lala part of the tune was inexplicably deleted from the above account. Either the app needs an update or someone in the Journal is anal.
Got a lot for the family. Falala lalalala lala la
Fair play to them. And they do a lovely jumper
They do a fair nice Christmas ad as well
Don’t mention the sweatshops or collapsing factories. Thanks Penneys
actually pennys was the only company to compensate the workers.
The majority of clothes are produced in sweatshops whether we like it or not. We as consumers drive the prices down by what we are willing to pay. As far as I know penny’s were one of the few retailers to pay compensation after that horrific factory fire in Bangladesh.
They paid money…. (Eventually) because it looked bad doing nothing to help their gament makers & their working conditions for so many years.
Yes they probably did it because of the public perception , a lot of much more expensive brands chose not to . …
Mitch can you name a clothing manufacturer that doesn’t use sweat shops? They all do, even the top designer labels. Penny’s, though not perfect, are far from being the worst offenders.
I agree cheap goods means some poor child is pretty much working for “Penny’s “
Moola name me a clothing manufacturer that doesn’t use cheap/child labour or sweatshops? It’s a disgrace, I know, but we in the west don’t want to pay the true value of anything be it food or clothes
*Noola
I can of course… blackfield clothing…. arran island hand knits…… and any other clothing company that operates in Ireland ….keeping jobs in Ireland.
Noola I don’t mean to argue with you, I believe in supporting home/irish based industries and I spent a large part of my working life in the “rag trade” as they call it, but those businesses you name are very much niche industries. I wish them well, really I do, but mass produced clothing, be it designer stuff eg in debenhams by ‘Irish’ designers or not, is made by the cheapest labour possible. And that’s what people want. Cheap.
It’s like any goods clothes, meat, turf, coal, any brand,…. some want quality some want quantity some think about the product beginnings
..it’s consumer choice that keep the likes of the Penny’s sweat shop going…. do you remember the ladies who went on strike from Dunne’s stores in the 80′s over oranges??? No striking these days and it’s human life at risk……
I don’t think they went on strike ‘over oranges’ lol
Noola, the wages in this country wouldn’t get u far in BTs. Fair play to Penney’s a great Irish success story. My 2 dauters shop there frequently and njoy der day out snapping up good looking and well made gear.
Oh sorry there. I work for Primark this past 7 years… Being part of the ethical trading initiative they have been a great support to the Bangladesh families affected by what had happened… http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/09/13/222056713/no-deal-on-bangladesh-garment-factory-compensation-fund
Also. Manys a time I have been putting stock out and found tops and dresses labelled with other high street shops with minimal difference to our own goods yet sold for over two thirds the price. I am a Primark sales assistant not a troll, manager or bound to show my loyalty to my employer but Primark is high up and running with the ‘big dogs’ and doing the best out of all high st stores… Stubbornness is a horrible thing x
No mention of why it’s called Primark outside Ireland?
As far as I know, JC Penneys holds Penneys copyright name in the UK thus the name change to Primark in the 70′s outside of Ireland.
I’m just going into have a look, I don’t need anything shur………A big fat lie I tell my young lad when we’re out shopping!! Half hour later walks out with shopping bags having just spent €20/30 on more stuff I don’t need but they were reduced but I really do need another belt/bag/bracelets/scarve/Sally Hansen & that “€5 jumper will fit you next year” I tell my crying child :D
Actually with penny’s your wages get capped at around €15-€16 per hour but you get a bigger bonus with the longer you are with the company.
Look at Aldi and Lidl managers get around €60k + bonuses a year. Funny how some people a few years back used be too good to been seen in Aldi or Lidl .. Oh how the times have changed.
Did I really just read that? Wow.
I live in holland, and penny’s has taken the Netherlands by storm. I’ve seen queue’s to just get into the shop! Definitely an Irish success story.
Meant to have a lot for the family, surely helps.
Penny’s – and Primarks – parent company is Associated British Foods.
They are about as Irish as Obama.
They have put up a sign on the M7 before Monygall telling is Obama is Irish. Q.E.D.
They are Irish. They were established here and their long term CEO, the person responsible for their success, is Irish. They are part of Associated British Foods for strategic funding purposes, a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange that anyone can buy shares in – including Irish people if they wish, but it doesn’t make the brand any less Irish.
AHh penny’s what haven’t you done
Penny’s. Helping Irish people dress cheap and tacky since 1979.
That is oh so true, Margaret.
It depends on what you choose to buy there. If you choose tacky stuff you get cheap and tacky, if you choose classic simple items, you get cheap and classy.
Margaret, there’s a lot of cheap, tacky looking stuff in BT as well; just with fancy labels and ridiculous price tags. Almost certainly made in the same, or similar, factories as well. Just read some of the “Made in…….” Labels sometime.
I’d say most kids hate to go into Penneys with their parents as they know they’re going to be in there for ages..
Though having said that I was delighted yesterday to get my daughter 3 pairs of gloves for €2, & she’s happy too.
Have we really come to the point where we are genuflecting before the altar of consumerism?
Penneys kids clothes are pretty damn good. As a broke mother i love to bring my clothes obsessed 6 yr old girl in to Penneys every now and then for a treat . To see the smile on her face is great.. Top, skirt, handbag, shoes, bling for €25/€30.. Thanks penneys..
Sadly they dont do clothes for my size which is….. ahem… not that slim anymore…. But the nail varnish fits me perfectly!!!
Erra grow up Peadar, it’s a bit if a discussion that’s all.
Apparently so Peadar.
Got to love Penneys
Maybe it should be renamed cents.
That’s a bold statement
Ha
Have they helped the Indian and Bangladeshi economies as much??? Cheap clothing = low wages.
Does anybody really care about India or Bangladesh of yheyrreally fid nobody would pass the door of Pennys to spend and that goes for everybody you will see every race colour snd creed shopping there so who gives a hoot, these are the facts
And I bet neither you or your daughter shop there?
Just finished the last of the Aldi xmas pudding, God it was amazing! GO ALDI :-)
Don’t mention the fact that their profits now are as high as ever yet they use the recession as an excuse to cut staff wages and work with a reduced staff. To be fair they are not the only ones doing this!
They haven’t cut wages? Penneys staff start off on 9.41 and receive a raise of 2-3 euro every year, time and a half on Sundays and bank holidays. Plus they get a couple of hundred for a Christmas bonus and double time on Sundays for staff over three years. They recently received a pay rise too with backpay from June last year. They’re a great company to work for, dunno where you got your facts from!
How can you get a €2-3 raise each year?
Each year you work there your wage goes up by a few euro an hour. For example, after five years you get 15 an hour plus double time on a Sunday. The raise varies year on year.
I should have started there instead of the ESB 11 years ago, I would be on more money for sure by now :-(
If you start at €9+ and get a couple of euro increase every year, surely after 5 years you’re on at least €19? Also if you’re there 10 years working off a 40 hour week you’re on about €30 an hour? €1200 a week? €60k+ a year? Feck that where do I apply?
Do you work for Penney’s Sarah ?
i hate bay95.com
Penneys and Brown Thomas are owned by the same Family.
Brown Pennys ?
This article isn’t news, they just want to get the words “helping the Irish economy” on the front page and the only way they can do it is by talking about the past.
M and S is better.
M&S are 4 times the price at least.
exactly pennies keeps peasants alive
S&M is best though
What does S&M have to do with any of this??………yuck yuck, it’s a joke
Dunnes Stores is better
There’s a Penneys opening up here in Toulouse next month. fierce excitement!!
If you buy green beans at Aldi, watch out for catapillers..true story….just sayin
Mmmm, meat and veg.
Friend is a manager of a Penneys store. Presume he might know. ……
Wish Penneys would come to Tallaght
Shoplifters would have it closed within a week.
Uuuuummmmmm!. Catapillars
Love penneys. Greatest place in ireland. My wardrobe is penneys. Right down to my socks. :-)
Well Ken Walsh in a discussion there is supposed to be pros and cons, anti and fors, advantages and disadvantages get the drift.
have your say