Primark placed a mobile billboard beside the newly opened SKIMS’ Regent Street flagship, promoting its £9 shaping bodysuit as a lower-priced alternative to Kim Kardashian’s widely popular shapewear offering.
The high street retailer used the opening week of SKIMS’ first standalone UK store to put its product in front of customers looking to enter the newly opened 12,000 sq ft location.
The tongue-in-cheek placement showcased Primark’s version of the shapewear bodysuit, with the slogan reading “These Kim’s prefer Primark £9 shaping bodysuit”.
In comparison, SKIMS Seamless Sculpt Thong Bodysuit, available in the Regent Street store, currently retails at £84.
The campaign was shared on social media by Metro UK and the Daily Mail.
The move follows Primark’s announcement last week that it had lowered prices across hundreds of womenswear, menswear and kidswear products as part of a new “Iconic Value” initiative aimed at reinforcing its position as a destination for affordable fashion.
Increasing competition by UK brands and retailers
The campaign highlights once again how UK brands and retailers have sharpened their competitive edge following SKIM’s entry into the market.
Since launching in 2019, SKIMS has positioned itself as a major player in the shapewear and lingerie market, with consumer spending reaching over £1.8 million in 2025, according to data from digital bank Monzo.
As competition in the category intensifies, Marks & Spencer launched a 300-piece reimagined lingerie collection, BODY, in April, built around “a modern, modular and solution-focused design philosophy”.
Starting at £16, the range covers bras, briefs, shapewear and essentials, using features including 360-degree stretch, laser-cut edges and targeted sculpting.
M&S remains one of the key players within the category, according to the retailer, with a bra sold every two seconds.
British underwear brand Lounge also recently introduced a 34-piece collection of engineered essentials, in an effort to “reclaim its stake in the category it helped shape” and reposition the brand to sit confidently alongside both SKIMS and M&S Body.
Lounge highlighted that its new collection is very size-inclusive, spanning from 28A-40G and XS-3XL. Size inclusivity is one of the biggest selling points for Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS brand.
“We’ve refined and unified our offering into something that feels complete: a system of fit-led pieces designed to replace compromise with confidence,” said Emily Blount, Product Director at Lounge, at the time of the launch.
“It’s the result of years of listening, testing and perfecting, and it reaffirms Lounge as a benchmark in modern everyday lingerie.”
SKIMS builds its UK retail presence
SKIMS opened its very first UK flagship on Friday 24 July, at 245-247 Regent Street. The opening further solidified the brand’s retail presence in the UK. It had previously been available through wholesale partners including Selfridges, Harrods and END.
The store, which was formerly occupied by Ted Baker, marks SKIMS’ largest European retail location.
Jens Grede, co-founder and CEO of SKIMS, commented on the opening: “Our flagship stores play an important role in how customers experience SKIMS beyond the product.”
Kim Kardashian, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, added: “London has always been one of the most inspiring fashion cities in the world to me, so opening our first UK flagship on Regent Street feels especially exciting.”
The London launch follows a period of rapid growth for the business. In late 2025, SKIMS secured a $225 million funding round that valued the company at $5 billion, fuelling further investment in physical retail as well as apparel and the NikeSKIMS partnership.
The Regent Street flagship is one of a series of international openings, with a new flagship at Dubai Mall and stores also planned for Delhi and Mumbai.
Founded by Kim Kardashian, Jens Grede and Emma Grede in 2019, SKIMS began as a direct-to-consumer shapewear brand before expanding into underwear, swimwear, loungewear and menswear.
