A DUP councillor has demanded Primark “show respect to our British identity” by selling products celebrating the coronation of King Charles in its Northern Irish stores.
Paul Porter, a Democratic Unionist Party councillor for Lisburn South, has sent a letter to the chief executive of the company, which is headquartered in Dublin.
In it he calls for answers on when Primark will start selling merchandise celebrating the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla which takes place this weekend.
“As a Cllr for Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, 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,” he wrote.
“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.”
He added: “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.”
Responding to the demands made in the letter, a spokeperson 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.”