Primark home delivery service to come before the chain is spun off from Associated British Foods; stock markets fall as oil prices rise again

Love it or hate it, the 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert is here – and it’s Kristin Scott Thomas v Pickles the evil AI overlord puppy!

The John Lewis Christmas advert no longer lands with the same thud as old. Once it prompted full media saturation and performative crying contests on social media. Now, more often than not, it’s the thing you skip before watching cat videos on YouTube. Nevertheless, its release is still an event, and so here we are again, writes the Guardian’s Stuart Heritage.

Home delivery is an obvious gap in Primark’s proposition, but it will need to be managed carefully given the retailer’s position at the value end of the market.

The experience of other online fashion retailers shows that shoppers often order multiple sizes or styles with the intention of returning unwanted items, resulting in far higher return rates than those seen in physical stores.

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