Clothing retailer Primark has moved to refute a story that it is preparing to start selling online.
An article published by Marketing magazine this morning said the retailer had begun searching for a digital agency to start work on an e-commerce website which would be launched in 2012.
However, a spokesman for the company has denied the contents of the piece, saying the business has "no plans for online retail" and that Primark has "not issued a tender for work to this effect".
While other retail giants such as Next and Topshop have made strong headway in the online retail market, Primark has so far been content to focus on high street sales.
One industry analyst told Marketing that trading online is difficult for value retailers due to their low price points, meaning high sales volumes are necessary in order to turn a profit.
The company now has more than 220 stores and in excess of 7.1million sq ft of selling space. In the 40 weeks to June 25, Primark's sales were up by 13 per cent year-on-year. Strong sales in the UK and Ireland during the 16 weeks to June 25 led to a 15 per cent increase in like-for-like sales compared to the same period in 2010.
