Primark Manager Fired for Hiding Items, Executive Digest Reports

A Primark store manager in Melilla was dismissed after hiding discounted items to purchase them herself and instructing colleagues and external cleaning staff to bypass internal store policies, as Executive Digest reported. The Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia confirmed the disciplinary firing, ruling that the conduct constituted a severe breach of contractual good faith and an abuse of trust.

Dismissal Confirmed After Court Appeals

The employee had worked for the fast-fashion retailer since May 2016 before receiving her dismissal letter on February 28, 2024. Primark justified the termination under articles 54.2(b) and (d) of the Spanish Workers’ Statute and article 32 of the applicable Collective Agreement, citing disobedience and breach of contractual good faith. The worker initially challenged the decision at Labour Court No. 1 in Melilla, which upheld the firing. Following an appeal, the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia dismissed the challenge as procedurally flawed and substantively groundless, issuing ruling number 13095/2026.

Court documents established that the manager exploited the store director’s absence during a vacation period. She hid discounted merchandise in obscure areas of the sales floor to keep customers from buying the items, reserving them instead for herself, other staff members, and external cleaning personnel. This practice directly violated Primark’s Welcome Manual, which strictly prohibits the reservation of goods by either customers or employees.

Manager Used Employee ID for Purchase and Hid Products

Investigators documented a specific incident on February 7, 2024. After clocking out for a break at 10:02 a.m., the manager completed a purchase of ten items totaling 35.80 euros just five minutes later, using her personal employee identification number before returning to her post at 10:21 a.m. Testimony and evidence reviewed during the proceedings also revealed that she instructed another employee on how to conceal products and authorized external cleaning contractors to store discounted merchandise inside fitting rooms.

Legal and Procedural Milestone	Details
Employment Start Date	May 2016
Documented Incident Date	February 7, 2024
Dismissal Letter Issued	February 28, 2024
Initial Court Ruling	Labour Court No. 1 in Melilla
Appellate Ruling	Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia (Ruling 13095/2026)

Judges on the Social Section of the appellate court emphasized that the worker’s supervisory role made her actions significantly more severe. Rather than enforcing company rules, she used her managerial position to circumvent them. The court noted that under Spanish Supreme Court jurisprudence, breaches of contractual good faith do not require proof of substantial economic loss. The core violation rested entirely on the destruction of trust between the employer and an individual entrusted with operational oversight.