Primark like-for-like sales retreat in ‘challenging consumer environment’

For the 16 weeks to June 20, 2026, Primark reported a 2.2% dip in like-for-like sales, driven by a 0.2% drop across the UK and Ireland, and a 3.6% fall in Europe.

In the year to date, like-for-like sales were down 2.5% across the business – up 0.6% in the UK and Ireland, but down 4.8% in Europe.

Total sales at the business were up 3%, driven by a strong performance in the US, which was up 16% in the quarter. Total sales growth was up 1% in the UK and Ireland and down 1% in Europe.

Primark said in the period it “continued to strengthen our customer promotion” with a sharper focus on price and price perception and “increased investment in market and digital customer engagement”.

It added that womenswear – “the cornerstone of our offering” – has been “our primary area of focus and has outperformed other departments”.

During the period, Primark launched its ‘Shockingly Chic’ campaign in the UK and its app.

In terms of outlook, Primark said there was no change to its guidance for 2026 and that, despite the ongoing challenging consumer environment, it expects to deliver an adjusted operating profit margin for the full year of approximately 10%.

Chief executive of Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods, George Weston, said of the group’s performance: “The group delivered a resilient trading performance in the third quarter. While the retail environment remained challenging in most markets, Primark continued to strengthen its customer proposition, including new product launches, a sharper focus on price and increased investment in marketing, particularly digital. We are making good progress and there is more to come.

“Across the group, we continued to take targeted actions and make investments to drive performance. Several long-running projects have either recently been completed or are nearing completion, reinforcing our confidence in the group’s long-term growth prospects.”