PRIMARK LAUNCHES ITS FIRST RANGE OF JEANS MADE WITH 100% SUSTAINABLE COTTON

• The collection of women’s jeans will be available across the USA from $XX.

• Important step towards Primark’s goal for all cotton used in their products to be sustainably sourced

• Primark’s sustainable cotton uses more natural farming methods, including minimizing the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and reducing water consumption, as well as increasing the income of cotton farmers to improve their livelihoods.

Primark has launched its first-ever collection of jeans made from 100% sustainable cotton. Produced in three different washes (indigo, black and light blue), the women’s skinny jeans will be sold in stores in all markets, at a cost of $XX. Primark’s customers are looking for amazing fashion at affordable prices – and this collection delivers, too.

The launch of our first sustainable cotton jeans is an important step, as Primark moves towards using sustainably sourced cotton throughout all our collections. This collection follows the introduction of sustainably sourced cotton into one of Primark’s most popular product lines – women’s pajamas – over 11.2 million sets of which have been sold since launch.

The jeans are made with cotton from Primark’s Sustainable Cotton Program, which launched in India in 2013. The program helps farmers grow cotton using more natural farming methods, including minimizing the use of chemical pesticides and reducing water consumption, while also increasing their incomes. Following the expansion of the program into Pakistan last year, Primark has announced that more than 28,000 farmers¹ in both markets have now enrolled in the training. Early Year One results recorded in Pakistan are promising, with farmers’ profits already increasing. They're also starting to see average reductions of more than 20% in chemical pesticide and fertilizer use and more than 15% in water use.

The jeans – launched under the Primark Cares initiative – are Primark’s latest sustainable basics, following its recent in‐demand collaboration with Alice Liveing that featured a top and leggings set made from recycled polyester, as well as two biodegradable water bottles. More sustainable cotton products will be released in the coming year, including in Homeware.

Primark's Trading Director Paula Dumont Lopez, who leads the buying, merchandising and design of Primark’s womenswear, said:

“Following the successful introduction of sustainable cotton pajamas in stores, we're so proud to introduce this collection. From harvesting the sustainable cotton from fields in India and Pakistan right through to using recycled paper for our Primark Cares labels, sustainability has been at the heart of every stage of developing and designing these jeans.

“Our Sustainable Cotton Program is not only good for the planet, it's also changing lives in India and Pakistan. That’s why I was so passionate about using the cotton in jeans, one of our most popular products.”

Developed in partnership with agricultural experts CottonConnect, and local NGOs SEWA (the Self‐ Employed Women’s Association) in India and REEDS (the Rural Education and Economic Development Society) in Pakistan, the program trains farmers in the most appropriate farming techniques for their land. This ranges from seed selection, sowing, soil, water, pesticide and pest management, to picking, fiber quality, grading and storage of the harvested cotton.

Alison Ward, CEO at CottonConnect, said:

“We've been working with Primark since this program was first launched in 2013. Not only are we materially changing the lives of farmers and their families in rural cotton communities, but by working closely with Primark and their supply chain partners we've been able to trace the cotton all the way from the farm into products – a challenging but important step towards increased supply chain transparency."

Katharine Stewart, Ethical Trade and Environmental Sustainability Director at Primark, said:

“These jeans are an important step as we aim to introduce sustainable cotton throughout our entire range of products. For us, the aims of the program are threefold: to help reduce the impact of cotton production on the environment, to equip farmers with the skills they need to improve their livelihoods, and to offer our customers sustainable products at a great price.”

ENDS

About Primark

Primark operates over 360 stores in eleven countries: The Republic of Ireland, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, France, the USA and Italy; it has over 75,000 employees. Primark offers high quality fashion at value for money prices – simply put, “Amazing Fashion, Amazing Prices."

People often ask how we can offer great products while keeping prices so low. It’s because we run Primark a little differently than other businesses. No big TV or billboard ads. Only selling our products in stores – so no online shopping or delivery network. And we're always saving on the small stuff – like basic hangers and price tags – to keep costs low. That means we can offer great prices while always taking care of the things that really matter.

Reducing our impact on the planet

The Primark Sustainable Cotton Program is just one part of our commitment to reducing our impact on the planet. This year we'll roll out a new program for customers to bring back their old clothes and shoes to be repurposed or recycled. Separately, we’ve been working in Europe with charity partner Newlife since 2010. They collect, sort and recycle any unsold goods and buying samples from Primark stores. Since 2014, we’ve also been signed up to Greenpeace’s campaign to remove certain chemicals in our supply chain by 2020.

Looking out for the people who make our products

The welfare of the people who make products for Primark matters to us. We’re a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, along with other major brands. The Ethical Trading Initiative is an alliance of trade unions, brands like Primark and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) including large international charities. We're proud to have held the ETI’s top level “leadership” status since 2011. We’ve also published a map featuring the names and addresses of suppliers’ factories that make Primark products. Auditors inspect the factories we source from every year to check their standards align with a strict Code of Conduct, based on the internationally recognized guidelines of the United Nations International Labor Organization.

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¹ 28,096 farmers combined across India and Pakistan (7,777 in India from 2013‐2018, and 20,319 in Pakistan since the introduction of the program in 2018). By 2022, more than 30,000 farmers will be trained in sustainable cotton farming methods.

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