Why is Primark called Penneys only in ireland?

Typewriter · 25-04-2012 09:33PM #1

Why is Penneys called Primark outside Ireland?

What's the deal with this? It's first store was in Dublin. Its headquaters are in Ireland. Yet outside of ireland it's called Primark. Where the hell did the name Primark come from?

I've also just noticed that Penneys website is primark.ie

This is bugging me now as nowhere online does it state the reason for the two different names. On their website they seem very proud of their Irish heritage. But all I can find is online with regards to the name is "Primark, (trades as Penneys in Ireland)".

whatdoicare · 25-04-2012 09:36PM

Probably because of JC penney in America - which has nothing to do with the penneys/primark brand here.

Skerries · 25-04-2012 09:38PM

is it an Irish company?

Del2005 · 25-04-2012 09:40PM

whatdoicare wrote: »

Probably because of JC penney in America - which has nothing to do with the penneys/primark brand here.

I was thinking on similar lines. They don't own the rights to the name outside Ireland

thenightrider · 25-04-2012 09:40PM

Primarkis the brand of clothes and Penneys is the shop name

25-04-2012 09:41PM

Totally unrelated but a friend of a friend who was learning english (Not sure if this is an urban myth or not) thought the word penneys meant thanks. She heard Irish girls complimenting each other. "I like your top/dress/bag etc" "Aw, thanks, penneys"

Jen Pigs Fly · 25-04-2012 09:41PM

Its cheaper to call it pennies

leggo · 25-04-2012 09:42PM

Why is Bulmers called Magners outside of Ireland?

Because it just is.

biko · 25-04-2012 09:42PM

whatdoicare wrote: »

Probably because of JC penney in America - which has nothing to do with the penneys/primark brand here.

Yup

Change of name
This move across the water necessitated a change of name as US retailer JC Penney had already trademarked the Penneys name in the UK. As a result ABF adopted the Primark trading name in the UK while retaining the Penneys brand in the Republic.

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/fistful-of-penneys-1828737.html

Typewriter · 25-04-2012 09:42PM

Just looked this up and it would seem you are right!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/11/primark-founder-arthur-ryan-resigns

In the late 1960s the late Garfield Weston, whose descendants are the controlling shareholders in Primark's parent company Associated British Foods (ABF), hired Ryan to set up a discount clothing chain. Weston gave Ryan a start-up fund of £50,000 and the first store opened in Dublin, where it is called Penneys. The name could not travel to Britain as the American firm JC Penney had the right to use the name, so Primark was born when it crossed the Irish Sea in 1973. It has since marched into Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany.

So it's a Bulmers Vs Magners situation then.

Mint Sauce · 25-04-2012 09:44PM

Whys Opel called Opel everywhere barr in the UK where its called Vauxhall.

fuerte1976 · 25-04-2012 09:45PM

And a TJ V TK MAXX issue :rolleyes:

fuerte1976 · 25-04-2012 09:48PM

Or you can ask the yanks why they call their arse their fanny

:p

admiralofthefleet · 25-04-2012 09:48PM

it should be called cent(s)

CJhaughey · 25-04-2012 09:49PM

Burgerking and Hungry Jacks

milehip1 · 25-04-2012 09:50PM

leggo wrote: »

Why is Bulmers called Magners outside of Ireland?

Because it just is.

it's cos Bulmers means 'vagina' in French street slang

i71jskz5xu42pb · 25-04-2012 09:50PM

irish-stew wrote: »

Whys Opel called Opel everywhere barr in the UK where its called Vauxhall.

Aren't they called Starburst now?

demakinz · 25-04-2012 09:51PM

That's what they pay the kids who make the clothes.

irish_stevo815 · 25-04-2012 09:52PM

This is why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=athHodH_nis

Cool Mo D · 25-04-2012 09:54PM

irish-stew wrote: »

Whys Opel called Opel everywhere barr in the UK where its called Vauxhall.

Because Vauxhall and Opel were separate subsidiary companies of GM. Vauxhall was taken over by GM in 1925, but it's only since the 1970's that Vauxhall and Opel lines of cars were merged. Ireland used to have Vauxhall cars, and was changed to Opel in 1982.

And Bulmers is called Magners outside Ireland because there was already a different cider called Bulmers in the UK.

cml387 · 25-04-2012 10:06PM

We have HB here,Wall's in England and Ola in Portugal,but they are all the same.

http://www.goodlogo.com/images/logos/ola_ice_cream_logo_2522.gif

I saw Birds Eye in Europe is Kapitan Igloo.

csi vegas · 26-04-2012 01:01AM

Walkers are called Lays on the continent. Two potential innuendos there

mconigol · 26-04-2012 08:39AM

Why are you made change your name when speaking Irish?

James != Seamus

*not my name by the way

triple-M · 26-04-2012 08:47AM

also why is lynx called axe in most other countries?

DaveNoCheese · 26-04-2012 09:02AM

Also why does the sun shine? The moon glow and the grass grow??...

adamski8 · 26-04-2012 09:04AM

139 wrote: »

Totally unrelated but a friend of a friend who was learning english (Not sure if this is an urban myth or not) thought the word penneys meant thanks. She heard Irish girls complimenting each other. "I like your top/dress/bag etc" "Aw, thanks, penneys"

ive heard that story a lot from different sources, just a myth

WesternZulu · 26-04-2012 09:29AM

Bulmers in a process used when making cider and as well as a company in Ireland calling their cider Bulmers, another company in the UK also called theirs by the same name too.

So when the Irish Bulmers exported their product in the UK there was also another company using the same name so they changed to Magners.

Now for ya!

26-04-2012 09:29AM

Bullfrogs and Chazwozza's

leggo · 26-04-2012 09:33AM

Why does Monday, come before Tuesday?
Why do summers start in June?
Why do winters come too soon?
Why do people fall in love,
When they're always breaking up?
Oh why,
Why do we love if love will die?

im invisible · 26-04-2012 09:37AM

Why do birds suddenly appear
every time you are near

Sofaspud · 26-04-2012 09:39AM

F*cking Magnets, how do they work?

Why is Primark called Penneys only in ireland?

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