There are differences between Primark and Burberry’s propositions, but there are also strong similarities.

The two ends of the spectrum have been busy lately. Last week saw the official opening of Burberry’s global flagship on Regent Street and this week it’s the turn of Oxford Street as it welcomes its second Primark. This latest branch of the value giant is at the eastern extremity of this long thoroughfare and is likely to have pretty much the same effect on that location as the Marble Arch store has had on Oxford Street’s westernmost reaches - it will impel footfall towards it that might previously not have found its way that far along the street.

There are two utterly different businesses and their interiors reflect this. What they do have in common however is that they are recognised by many as being close to the top of their respective games. They also understand shopper expectations.

In Burberry, personal service is coupled with space and acres of marble, polished wood and a lot of screens. In Primark it’s about volume presentation and an operation that is as polished in its ability to replenish as Burberry is slick about its service. Yet while Primark may be about bargain basement pricing, that is not the sole facet when it comes to its newest interiors. These may be wholly focussed on shifting large quantities of stock, but just as in Burberry they are also highly designed pieces of retail machinery.

In both retailers, in short, you know what you’re in for and there is a clarity of offer that often goes walkabout in the mid-market.

The real point is that every square foot of Primark has been given consideration in the same way as in Burberry Regent Street and the outcome is something that is easily understood. Burberry’s profit warning last week was a shock for investors (particularly in view of its ad hoc nature), but it seems really unlikely that it will change its in-store game plan anytime soon. There is too much at stake and substantial change at the highly branded end of the market equates to alienating your customers. This is also a flagship - a standard bearer for the brand and it therefore has to be the best that is possible from Burberry. It is, and it seems probable that when the second Primark opens on Oxford Street later this week, it will share this in common with the upscale brand as well.

The clothes however may prove a little less wallet-voiding…a full review of the Burberry store in Retail Week this Friday, with the new Primark a week later.