Bye bye Primark's Head Honcho.

After 40 years of record-breakingly fast fashion Arthur Ryan, the guy who wears his slippers in the office of Primark HQ, has finally retired.
"They don't make them like Arthur Ryan anymore," was the chorus from retailers when the Primark boss retired after years of piling it high and selling it cheap. From a single store in Dublin, he went on to storm the British high street with his no-frills, no gimmicks ethos. "I just like sliced ham and bread and butter," Ryan once said. "That's where I am. No risk."

Yet risk seems to haunt Ryan, says the Daily Express. He lives in one of Dublin's best-protected houses, never gives interviews, and is rarely seen in public without bodyguards. His great fear is kidnap – a real enough threat for Irish retail magnates during the Troubles. In 1981, the IRA snatched department store boss Ben Dunne; two years later, they tried to kidnap Galen Weston, scion of the Canadian family behind Primark's owner, food and retail conglomerate Associated British Foods (ABF). Ryan still takes no chances. "His daily schedule is kept secret from all but his closest aides."


Ryan also likes to be able to drop into stores unannounced to observe the business incognito, says The Times. Indeed, many of the habits associated with his friend, Sir Philip Green (such as anonymous store visits), were practised first by Ryan at Primark. Ryan has always had a reputation for haggling mercilessly to secure the 12.5% margins that fuelled the chain's growth.

But last year, when Primark was pilloried for using child labour (unwittingly, it says), his image took a turn for the worse. He was portrayed by some as a rapacious capitalist operating from the shadows – habitually clad in a rumpled old mac.

Yet this 73-year-old chain-smoker is far from a cold fish, says the Daily Mail. Married to a former Irish Eurovision star, tales abound of his bonhomie at favoured Dublin haunts. He's a "subtle operator", says an associate. "You'd be in the Shelbourne bar, a drink would appear in front of you paid for by Arthur, but he'd be gone by the time you looked around."

Primark ambled along for years, says The Sunday Times. Even ten years ago, its contribution to ABF's profits "amounted to little more than a rounding error". The turnaround came in 2005, when Primark acquired a huge portfolio of Littlewoods stores. Meanwhile, close attention to catwalk trends made it chic as well as cheap. It went from being the "shop that nobody admitted going to" to a Mecca for celebrity shoppers. It was "Primani", darling – or "Pradamark".

Now accounting for over a third of ABF's operating profits, Primark is a dream business for the Westons, says the Daily Express, and Ryan a dream employee. While well paid, he has no equity stake in the 191-store strong chain. Perhaps a new management style beckons. But one thing is certain: Ryan's shoes, "low-cost or otherwise, will be hard to fill".

Ryan's legacy – and the challenges for his successor
There's a world of difference between Grace Brothers and Primark, but Arthur Ryan's management style has a nostalgic whiff of Are you Being Served? about it. As The Sunday Business Post notes, Primark senior managers are still referred to as Mr, Mrs or Miss. Primark as a whole is "an extension of Arthur Ryan": from its lean and mean sourcing policy (it cuts out the middleman and goes direct to suppliers), to its culture of secrecy and restraint. The firm has never advertised. Until recently, its entire PR budget was believed to be less than £15,000 a year.

The furore following a BBC Panorama investigation into child labour changed all that, says Retail Week. Ryan left ABF chief George Weston to field the criticism. But a culture shift is underway. The group has turned its basic website into "an in-depth information portal", with pages on its ethical stance. It's no coincidence that Ryan's successor as CEO, Paul Marchant, is touted as having "a deep knowledge of supply chain issues" that should help address ethical concerns.

"There's no reason why a silver-haired… septuagenarian shouldn't run a business such as Primark," says Damian Reece in The Daily Telegraph. "But as the company becomes more international… a more public face becomes desirable." Let's hope Marchant doesn't mess with the blue-print too much. Primark may have lost its flighty Vogue following, but its "Look Good, Pay Less" motto has been a winner in recession: sales rose by 9% in the six months to September. What it needs now is not an innovator, but an operations man to scale up and grow overseas. "Next stops are Buenos Aires and Brisbane, not Brighton and Birmingham."

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'In the know'

First week nearly over! Phew. And now I have a clear and concise plan for my professional project. Double phew.

I have decided to work with the Fab Frocks design brief, creating a new business plan, buying boards and a SWOT analysis aswell as the press pack. I also plan to source new designers at the 'Pure' Trade Show in February. In fact I am meeting with Tracey (off of Fab Frocks) tomorrow!

Also, just to make myself feel better, I mean despite having about six different 'to-do' lists dotted around, I have to complete;
- my professional project
- a learning agreement
- my pprd file
- my research file for the futuristic makeover magazine spread
- the magazine spread

In other exciting news, i have volunteered to help organise the exhibition for the promotor's projects. This will involve organising fundraisers and crazy money making schemes and setting up the venue and layout. I'm hoping to do something spectacular! You always want to top last year don't you, eh? Better start brainstorming now.
Feeling a bit aprehensive actually, I've never had to organise anything huge like this before and I want it to be a success....here goes.....


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The Future's Bright?

Happy New Year Blogsta's.
I am currently posting after a very thought-provoking and over-indulgant crimbo and I am very eager to finish my final chunk of the Fda Fashion Degree.
I have had a lot of things on my mind regarding Proffessional Project, many of which involve me having a major flap about the briefs. I'm really struggling to get a buyer-esque angle on the tasks set for us. After reading them countless times, I have little inspiration, I'm sad to say :(

However meeting with Sarah and Pat tomorrow who I'm sure will chill me out a bit more!

During the summer I put together a photoshoot for the futuristic makeover task.
I wanted to get a spacey/going into the unknown feeling in the year 2020. The most important thing was an expensive, recession busting image and I thought the contrast of the marshy, dingy planet that the model is captured in, really highlighted the change in fashion culture.
I organised a model (Claire Long, 19 from Poole) and got a photography expert to accompany me take the shots. This input really helped me know what looked right for the look.
Here is a few shots that I have played with;

Black Monday

I am still alive. Just.
Today has been a really stressful day!
Tomorrow is out final crit for the Traces Project and everyone has been rushing around like mentalists trying to get everything finished.
I have just got my trend book finished after several 'missing links' and countless hours and headaches later. I shall upload pictures once it has finished printing.
We also have three beautifully finished jackets.
Here's some shots from the photshoot...









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Window Wonderland!

Selfridges Oxford Street has gone all out for Christmas 2009. They have gone for a twisted fairytale-esque theme with lots of glitter and scary scary masks. The windows take scenarios from well known childrens tales such as Snow White and Cinderella.
Take a peek...



Goldielocks and the 3 bears.




A Midsummer Nights Dream




A very UGLY sister



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Primark: 'The recession? Oh that old thing...'

Primark’s flagship store in London’s Oxford Street is understood to have had its best ever trading day on Saturday.

Trade at the value retailer was helped by the annual traffic-free shopping day in the West End according to The Independent.

Primark is believed to have taken £700,000 at the branch on Saturday DEcember 5, a 17% rise on the same day last year.

The flagship store, which is at the Marble Arch end of the busy shopping street has been a huge success for the retailer. Accroding to reports it has turned over more than £1.5m a week since opening in April 2007 and has brought increased traffic to what was traditionally the quieter end of Oxford Street.

Primark has 196 stores in the UK and Europe. In the year to September 12 total sales rose 20% to £2.31bn.

Bit of a step up from the Poole store, but awesome news for a company started by a small Irish lady in Dublin.

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SHOWStudio Fashion Revolution

Wondering round the exhibition whilst Nick Knight is photographing Jedward!



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