Primark is set to slash costs on hundreds of favourite products as competition from Temu, Shein and Vinted hots up. Last week, Primark confirmed it would cut prices on retail items such as womenswear, menswear and kidswear, as the high street chain aims to “reaffirm its place” as the home of value.

For women, Primark’s velvet plush leggings will now be priced at just £6, with men able to pick up cosy hoodies from £9 each. It comes after customers have complained about Primark’s pricing, with one student claiming that the shop has “definitely got more expensive”.

The company has suffered a drop in sales, reporting a 2.2% fall in like-for-like sales during its third quarter ending in June. The business has blamed a “challenging consumer environment”, with the rise of new online retailers likely the biggest threat.

Chinese company Shein has become the latest player, with the business selling dresses for as little as £3. Customers can also secure budget deals on second-hand clothing on Vinted, while popular budget store Temu also sells clothes at a discount.

Online stores can simply undercut retailers because they do not pay for store locations and some import duties, meaning the customer can pay substantially less. Customers have taken to social media, with one user, @CramberryCheese1997, explaining the difficult position that Primark has found itself in.

They said: “Primark has found itself in an awkward middle ground. It used to be the dirt cheap place for clothes. But now you got people buying their really cheap stuff from Shein and Temu, and you’ve got the likes of Next and M&S sitting a class above.” [sic]

@GodofThunder888 added: “Primark isn’t the cheapest anymore, and while not expensive, when prices are very close to shops like New Look and H&M, why not just go for better quality?”

But Primark is looking to fight back, with Matt Houston, Chief Customer Officer, explaining that new budget price tags would ensure the business would help shape the future of “affordable fashion”.

He said: “Value matters to customers today more than ever and for more than fifty years customers have trusted us as the destination on the high street for great value fashion at prices you can’t find anywhere else.

“We want to continue to lead the way in shaping what affordable fashion looks like and give our customers the confidence that they can always trust Primark for the very best prices but without compromising on style or on quality.”

A spokesperson for Primark told Express.co.uk: “We know value matters more than ever to our customers and we’re responding to that consumer demand. Ahead of autumn/winter we reviewed every price point across ranges to ensure that customers can trust that they are getting the best value when they shop in Primark.”