Inside Penneys: Behind The Scenes With Ann Marie Cregan

Tell us about your role. What does it involve?

I am Trading Director on Lingerie, Nightwear, Socks and Hosiery. The role involves leading our buying merchandising and design for these categories and I have a team of very talented people making all the magic happen.

It’s no secret the nightwear in Primark is so popular – why do you think that is?

Nightwear really is a hero category at Primark, it reaches across multiple customer profiles and demographics ensuring there is a beautiful choice for everyone who comes into store. We put a lot of love and effort into our product development and invest in amazing quality fabrics ensuring we bring maximum comfort and joy to our customers.

How did the Snuddie come about?

The idea began during the pandemic, in particular the winter of 2020, when we could only socialise and meet other outdoors or in our gardens. My teenagers were constantly wrapping themselves in blankets to keep warm and it got me thinking. We had a brainstorm with the team and started to look at how we could create an on-trend product that replaced a blanket or loungewear in some of our best-selling cosy materials. The result was The Snuddie, which is essentially a giant hoodie or as I like to say, a wearable hug!

Did you ever think the Snuddie would be as popular as it is?

We took a very brave but considered risk when buying the product for Autumn / Winter 2021 and it was a complete sell out! We then really maximised the opportunity for the following year and generated incredible growth across our nightwear business. It’s still a winner today and we’re delighted with our range on offer.

What do you predict will be popular in nightwear and lingerie in 2024?

Some key predictions are the rise in demand for minimal or barely there lingerie, growth of shapewear in many forms, including bodysuits, unitards and catsuits. Compression leggings are also having a moment as the trend for sheer dressing grows and we continue to celebrate our curves and embrace body confidence.

On the nightwear side, we are seeing the resurgence of the onesie in particular in nostalgic ranges like our Teletubbies collection. Skintone shades like oyster, mocha, sand and fig are becoming very popular and we are very much on a growth trajectory to innovate and invest in more and more ranges in this space.