King's coronation: Primark's failure to stock coronation merchandise is 'disrespectful' says councillor

Lisburn Alderman Paul Porter aired his frustration towards the chief executive of the company which has its headquarters in Dublin.

The Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council candidate has raised his concerns as Coronation merchandise is sold in Primark stores in other parts of the UK but not in Northern Ireland.

He said: “After receiving complaints from constituents that Primark is failing to provide the same products available in Great Britain in Northern Ireland to celebrate the Coronation, I have contacted the chief executive and issued the following letter.

The letter reads: “As a councillor for LCCC, I am writing on behalf of my constituents who are seeking clarity as to when Primark stores in Northern Ireland will be stocking your Coronation theme merchandise, which is currently available in GB based stores.

“As you will appreciate, the Coronation is being eagerly anticipated by many people in Northern Ireland.

“As a constituent part of the United Kingdom, we will be playing a full part in the nationwide celebration of this historic event.

“To enable events such as street parties, lunches, BBQs and community fetes, availability of merchandise, clothing and Coronation memorabilia is vital.

“Primark enjoys great success in Northern Ireland, and many within your loyal customer base are disappointed that merchandise available to GB customers is not currently available in Northern Ireland stores.

“I look forward to hearing from you, and to hearing when NI stores will be stocked with Coronation items.”

When contacted for a response to Alderman Porter, a spokesperson for Primark said: “We have never stocked any products featuring national emblems in our Northern Ireland stores.

“This is based on local market and customer considerations.”