The world’s biggest Primark is hard to miss.
When strolling down the high street in Birmingham, you can spot the queues from a mile off.
The huge store has five floors with everything you need from its much-loved clothing section to lingerie, home and beauty.
But this shopping goliath goes even further with what it offers from your local – there’s a salon, a barbers and even a Greggs.
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Since the store opened in 2019, it’s become a bit of a tourist attraction with people travelling from all over the country to visit the budget retailer for departments you just won’t find in other stores.
So I decided to venture in during the week to see what it is really like…
The beauty section
The Birmingham Primark store’s beauty section is enormous – filling a quarter of the entire first floor and clearly popular with shelves often wiped clean of the most basic essentials.
But what I didn’t expect was to find a gigantic Beauty Studio as well.
Stepping foot into the section, I felt like I’d step foot into a Boots store and not the cheap clothing store I’d arrived at.
Inside, I could get anything I wanted from lash lifts and manicures to even haircuts. This may be the only Primark in the world you can arrive as one person and walk out looking completely different.
Men aren’t left out either, with a barber shop attached to the men’s section on the lower floor.
Second-hand and ‘vintage’ clothes
The Birmingham outlet is one of only a handful in the country to to have a WornWell department – a brand dedicated to “vintage” and “pre-loved” items at discount prices.
In the little stall I saw had a number of cheap pre-loved goodies from Nike T-shirts and footie strips to dresses, accessories and shoes.
(Image: Adam Hughes / SWNS)
But what shocked me to the core was seeing a rail of lingerie hidden in the corner. At the front and centre was a sultry red lace bodice.
It would take a lot to put me off a Greggs stop – but the thought of donning second-hand undies was enough.
Thankfully, a Primark spokesman assured Daily Star the garments are rigorously washed to a “high standard” before going on sale.
Cafes and food
(Image: PA)
Going on a shopping spree can work up an appetite – and with this monster building you don’t have to go far for a quick bite to eat.
The shopping experience here feels more like a shopping centre than just one store. There are three dining areas inside, including a basic coffee shop.
But the others have become tourist stops in themselves.
If you’re in the mood for something magical – the Disney cafe is a great option for both adults and children alike.
Everything from the food to the doorways is shaped like the iconic character Mickey Mouse.
I love the Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles and fruit skewers – they take me back to fond memories of the food I would get on trips to Disneyland without all the travelling.
But the northeastern part of me will always have a soft spot for Tasty by Greggs.
The only downside to this ‘Instagrammable’ place to chow down on your favourite pastries is that it always seems rammed full of shoppers.
Hot tip: If you see a free table nab it while you can – it won’t be free for long.
Long queues (and how to avoid them)
You can quite easily get lost in the ginormous store and I easily spent over an hour walking around inside.
But as I delved deeper and deeper, the queues grew and started stretching way back from the tills.
Clothing rails seemed to no longer exist with items strewn across the floor.
I did discover a nifty way to beat the long lines, though.
The men’s section seemed to be the quietest in the whole store and it has its own checkout as well so heading there to pay is a no brainer.
One last thrill…
With shopping in my hands, I strolled happily out of the store when I was stopped in my tracks.
A police van suddenly pulled up and officers rushed in behind me to deal with an incident.
No, I’d done nothing wrong, but they rushed in. behind me to deal with an incident with a group of teenagers.
(Image: Adam Hughes / SWNS)
It wasn’t clear what the incident was regarding or whether any arrests were made.
West Midlands Police were approached for comment about the incident but said they had no record of a call to the shop.
That was enough chaos for me for one day.
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