Skims opened its very first UK flagship at 245-247 Regent Street, a 12,000-square-foot store previously occupied by Ted Baker, marking the brand's largest store in Europe. But as opening-day queues wrapped down the pavement on Friday, 24 July, shoppers ready to drop £84 on a single garment found themselves standing beside a Primark billboard on wheels.
'These Kims prefer Primark £9 shaping bodysuit', read the mobile stunt, parked inches from the entrance. Standing on London's most expensive shopping corridor, doing the mental math on a 90% price gap, those waiting in line became an involuntary focus group on what shapewear is actually worth.
Function vs Flex
Choosing Regent Street for a launch of this scale was a power move, which is precisely why the £9 billboard hit so hard.
Kim Kardashian publicly lauded London as one of the world's most inspiring fashion capitals, positioning the flagship as a monument to Skims' luxury lifestyle branding.
The £84 price tag was never just about elastane. Skims sells clout, sleek aesthetic, and the promise of a flattering hourglass figure, similar to what the Kardashians are known for. Primark's £9 pitch strips away all the celebrity endorsement to sell straightforward utility: a simple piece that holds you in without the designer price tag.
Same category, same function, but two completely different reasons to buy it.
The 'Iconic Value' Play
Far from being a spur-of-the-moment PR prank, the mobile billboard was a calculated piece of brand strategy. Just days earlier, Primark rolled out its 'Iconic Value' initiative, slashing prices across hundreds of clothing lines to stake its claim as the ultimate high-street steal.
Framed outside a rival's newly opened flagship store, the billboard was a deliberate offensive. It was a fast-fashion giant picking the biggest possible stage to make its point: we're cheaper, and proud of it.
The Middle-Market Squeeze
Online sentiment split immediately. Monzo data showed UK shoppers spent over £1.8 million on Skims in 2025 alone, proving shapewear has officially crossed over from hidden underwear to a major style flex. Fans loved Primark's cheek, calling the stunt exactly the kind of marketing they love as a customer, while critics sneered at the £9 version as cheap fast fashion that could never match the real deal.
That push-and-pull between affordability and prestige is creating a brutal squeeze in the middle tier. Marks & Spencer launched its 300-piece BODY collection starting at £16, and digital brand Lounge dropped a 34-piece range just to hold onto its turf. Squeezed between Primark's bargain basement and Skims' luxury tax, middle-tier brands are scrambling to stay relevant.
The High-Street Bottom Line
Kim Kardashian's name was always going to pull a massive crowd, and Skims' multi-billion-dollar empire isn't going anywhere over a cheeky billboard. Yet Primark walked away with the viral PR, the screenshots, and a budget-conscious shadow that will hang over Skims' big UK debut.
Primark got a massive PR victory for the price of a rented van. Skims walked away with the prestige, the hype, and the high profits. Both got what they came for, even if only one of them had to pay Regent Street rent to get it.
