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Why making fun of people lining up to go to Primark shows 'Britain's class prejudice' at its worst

Why making fun of people lining up to go to Primark shows 'Britain's class prejudice' at its worst

After almost three months of being closed due to lockdown, Primark opened all 153 of its stores across the UK yesterday.

And because the fast fashion retailer doesn't actually have an online equivalent, the reopenings drew huge crowds country-wide.

It’s the first time non-essential businesses like Primark have been allowed to open their doors since lockdown, but many criticised the shoppers lining up for being “irresponsible” given the fact that we're still dealing with a global pandemic.

Like this:

Or this:

Or even this:

But others were quick to point out the double standard and the “privilege” in calling out people for shopping in physical stores during a global pandemic.

Although some admitted the working conditions and sustainable practices at Primark were less than perfect, low-income households often rely on the cheaper products to provide clothes, homewares and supplies for their families.

The outrage over people lining up to go into Primark comes down to privilege, many argued:

Some questioned why there was criticism about Primark but not about more expensive stores like Selfridges:

To ensure social distancing, Primark put protocols in place such as arrows and cordons outside the store.

They’ve said that basket handles will be cleaned after every use and that every second till will be closed in order to make sure that people can maintain social distancing inside the store too.

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