Primark has launched its most extensive activewear collection featuring 240 pieces and four new technical fabrications, as the Irish value retailer joins an increasingly crowded field of fashion retailers betting on affordable sportswear to capture share from established athletic brands.
The Dublin-headquartered retailer rolled out the collection globally on Jan. 5 with prices starting from £2.50 ($3.15, €3) for accessories and £4.50 ($5.70, €5.30) for activewear pieces. The range spans women’s, men’s and children’s categories, marking Primark’s most significant investment in performance sportswear as it seeks to capitalize on sustained athleisure demand.
The collection introduces four technical fabrics – Seamfree for a smooth fit, Buttery Soft for flexibility, Smooth Support for training, and Body(sculpt) for high-intensity workouts – positioning the retailer to compete on technical performance rather than price alone. Primark has expanded the range beyond core activewear into lifestyle pieces, accessories and a Performance Beauty line of skincare and recovery products.
Fashion retailers flood the sportswear market
The launch reflects an accelerating trend of fashion retailers expanding into activewear categories traditionally dominated by Nike, Adidas and specialist brands. The timing is notable: H&M launched its Move Wellness Edition the same week, introducing SculptMove, a new performance fabric engineered for shaping, support and smoothing that directly mirrors Primark’s technical positioning.
Marks & Spencer relaunched its Goodmove activewear range in 2024 with expanded technical offerings, while Zara has steadily grown its athleticwear assortment under the Z-Athletic label. Spanish fast-fashion rival Mango introduced its Mango Sport collection in 2023, and H&M has systematically expanded its H&M Move performance line beyond its initial 2020 launch.
Department store John Lewis launched its Anyday Active range in 2024 targeting the value segment, and even Tesco has grown its F&F Active offering beyond basics. The convergence signals both the profitability of activewear categories and mounting pressure on mid-market sportswear brands as consumers seek alternatives at lower price points.
Activewear represents Primark’s fastest-growing category, with sales nearly doubling over the past year according to the company. The retailer operates more than 400 stores across 18 countries and has added 150 new dedicated Performance retail spaces to its estate, bringing the total to 200 locations designed to showcase technical sportswear.
Leggings anchor the strategy
Leggings form the collection’s commercial core. Primark claims to be the number one high-street retailer for leggings by volume in the UK, selling more than 70 pairs per minute. The new range offers multiple fits and fabric options across training, yoga and everyday wear segments, with pricing designed to undercut branded alternatives by 70 to 80 percent.
The company has supported the launch with a global campaign built around the tagline “Every Move Counts,” featuring musician Rita Ora and UK artist Krept. Ora has also designed a Pilates-inspired capsule collection as part of her ongoing collaboration with Primark, adding celebrity credibility to the retailer’s performance positioning.
Challenging the sports brand model
The expansion intensifies pressure on established sportswear brands already contending with margin compression and shifting consumer priorities. Fashion retailers leveraging existing supply chains and store networks can achieve competitive pricing while adopting technical innovations previously exclusive to specialist brands.
The near-simultaneous launches by Primark and H&M – both introducing proprietary shaping and sculpting fabrics within days of each other – suggest fashion retailers are no longer positioning activewear as a complementary category but as a core strategic pillar. The focus on technical fabric innovation signals an arms race in performance credentials that directly challenges the value proposition of mid-tier sportswear brands.
However, fashion retailers face challenges in building brand equity around performance credentials, an area where Nike and Adidas maintain significant advantages through athlete endorsements and innovation heritage. Success in activewear requires not just affordable technical products but credibility in sports and fitness communities increasingly influential in shaping purchasing decisions.
Primark’s year-round availability strategy contrasts with seasonal fashion cycles, reflecting confidence in sustained demand for athleisure as both workout wear and everyday clothing. The retailer has also introduced click-and-collect capability in the UK for the activewear range, a notable expansion for a company that has historically avoided e-commerce to maintain cost advantages.
To know more: corporate.primark.com
