The 4 Stages Of Shopping At Primark

We all go through them, but at the end, its worth it...

Whitney Alese / Via TheReclaimed.blogspot.com

Primark, a bad ass British brand, has been opening its fashionable stores here in the U.S. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Primark, it's akin to stores like H&M and Forever 21, but cheaper and so much bigger. Think the IKEA for trendy clothes.)

The European brand has picked the fair city of Philadelphia (King of Prussia to be precise) to open its second statewide store, and ever since, its been like another British invasion. Trendy items at very low prices sounds too good to be true. So, to excite the fashion elite here in the states, Primark hosted a fashion show and party here in Philly.

I went. I saw. I was intrigued. So, armed with my cross body bag and a Primark gift card (one of the presents of the evening, I personally went to investigate this UK phenom for myself to see what all the hype was about.

Whitney Alese / Via TheReclaimed.blogspot.com

1.

Excitement:

As with any shopping expedition (which, let's face it, is what going to the mall on a Saturday is.) going to Primark gets you excited. You hope that you're going to find something cool, something trendy, something worth shlepping to the mall for.

2.

Whitney Alese / Via TheReclaimed.blogspot.com

Overwhelmed:

As soon as you even pull into the mall parking lot, you're overwhelmed. You walk in the door and if the 70 foot screen of flashing ads and sleek styles don't overwhelm you, the sheer size of the store will. The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania store is a behemoth of a department store at 80,000 square feet, you'll be thankful for good walking shoes and lots of places to sit and recharge (for both you and your phone.)

Then there's all the people. Primark is rarely empty, and we chose to go on the worst day at the worst time, Saturday at 3:30pm! The huge store was packed with people. I was literally so overwhelmed, I didn't even know where to start. I lumbered around, following my friend who, unlike me, came with a plan of what she was looking for. I was coming just to spend my gift card. I was in some trouble.

3.

Whitney Alese / Via TheReclaimed.blogspot.com

Discovery:

Then it happened. I saw a a grey asymmetric turtleneck. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the fabric was light, a perfect addition for the cool early spring weather. I snagged it.

Then, it's happened again. A rust colored sleeveless blazer appeared on one of the stylized racks in front of me. And. I. Was. In. Love. Suddenly, all the music and noise and crowdedness drifted away and suddenly Primark didn't feel so big.

4.

Via Giphy.com

Euphoria:

After that, it was smooth sailing. A few other pieces also made themselves seen and were snagged along with more front-back earrings and a lovely candle.

Then I arrived to the register and realized how much everything cost, and I was euphoric. I ended up leaving with my load of closet goodies for under $35.

For those of you curious about shopping at Primark, I encourage you to do so. I always find something. Once you get beyond the fact the store is huge and that its full of people, it's really not so bad.

Think about it: it's a big store full of great finds and its full of people because its full of good stuff.

Via giphy.com