Former Primark employee explains ‘store secrets’ and why staff ask for ‘Mr Brown’
Poleighh Soper's video, titled 'Secrets of an ex primark employee', has been viewed, liked and shared thousands of times since appearing on the social media platform.
A TikTok user claiming to be a former Primark employee has shared some of the store’s biggest secrets online.
Poleighh Soper’s video, titled ‘Secrets of an ex primark employee’, has been viewed, liked and shared thousands of times since appearing on the social media platform – with the original poster passing on some of the mos intriguing info she learnt during her time working in the budget store.
This week, she published a ‘Part 2’ – which has also gone viral.
According to Poleighh Soper, hearing a request for ‘Mr Brown’ on the tannoy in a Primark store is in fact a call for security.
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“Say your security company that stands by the door and makes sure nobody is stealing…say their name is like ‘Brown Security Services’, that’s who they’re calling,” explained the TikTok user.
“So, when they say ‘Can Mr Brown please come to the customer service checkout’, they’re actually calling for security – they just don’t want the customers to know that,” she added.
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Theft checks
The TikTok user also shared the cheeky theft checks apparently in place at the Primark tills.
“You know when you go to the till and you’ve got like a makeup bag or something, they’ll always open it up and take out the tissue? That’s to check that you’re not stealing,” Poleighh Soper explained.
“So, we have to take the tissue out to check there’s nothing else in the bag, however, we’re not actually allowed to accuse you of stealing.
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“We could open that bag and find ten pieces of jewellery and three pairs of socks in there – [but] can’t accuse you of stealing it.
“We simply have to say: ‘Would you like that as well?'”
Mark Waugh / Flickr
Call bell rings
Another secret the user shared was that the number of call bell rings actually mean different things.
According to Poleighh Soper, one ring means ‘we need extra staff’, two rings means ‘we want supervisor or a manager’s help’, whereas three rings is apparently the signal for an ’emergency’.
Also, staff can seemingly select whether they want their till voice (which you hear saying “till number one, please”) to be male or female by pressing a button below.
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Staff discount
One frequently asked question has been whether Primark employees get money off purchases in store.
“No, staff do not get staff discount,” Poleighh Soper emphasised during Part 2 of her video.
She did however say that employees enjoy a 10% discount at Christmas.
The TikTok user also added: “Any staff member that actually wants to buy something from Primark has to take it to the customer service desk and hand over their ID number when they buy it.
“That includes any store – not just the one you’re working in.”
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Apparently the user is set to share more secrets in the future, promising a ‘Part 3’ of her series and urging followers to “stay tuned”.
Latest wave of ‘Evening 4’ Ricky Hatton lineup in memory of the legendary Manc boxer announced
Danny Jones
Manchester is set to host a night of remembrance and celebration in honour of the late, great, local boxer, Ricky Hatton, and now a superb second wave of names has been added to AO Arena’s lineup.
Coming this summer, the legendary Manchester arena – where Hatton enjoyed so many of his iconic moments – will be holding the first-ever ‘Evening4Ricky’ later this year.
Held at the legendary sports and live entertainment venue just in time for summer, we still only know bits and pieces about what’s in store, but a whole host of familiar Manc faces, famous British names, and figures from the world of sport have now been announced.
Sharing the news on social media, AO Arena said: “Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as Manchester comes together for Evening4Ricky.
“This will be a spectacular, unique celebration of the life, spirit and legacy of one of the city’s most beloved icons – Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.”
With seats priced at £25, fans are being encouraged to join the early bird sign-up to secure access to discounted tickets.
As you can see, now confirmed for the evening are the likes of Man United legend, Paul Scholes, darts icon Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, as well as fellow former boxers like Frank Bruno, Tony Bellew and more.
Local band, The K’s, were already confirmed as part of the in-person performances, but now the likes of Manc grime artists Bugzy Malone, fellow UK rapper Tinie Tempah, and The Lottery Winners are joining in, too, alongside loads more live music and entertainment set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
They go on to add: “Hosted at the legendary AO Arena, home to so many of Ricky’s big fights, featuring a superstar cast of legends from the worlds of boxing, music, comedy and entertainment.”
So, we do at least know there’ll be some famous faces coming along to help make it a memorable Manc moment, just a few months on from the city and beyond uniting for his public funeral procession.
Ricky was beloved not only by the Greater Manchester community but was a popular figure and friend to many in the sporting and showbiz industries.
The homegrown ‘Pride of Hyde‘ tragically left us on 14 September 2025 at the age of just 46, but his passing has once again helped reassert the importance of having more conversations around wellbeing, suicide prevention, and most specifically, men’s mental health.
You can find more information and see how to grab tickets right HERE.
This isn’t the only charitable in memoriam event happening across the region in the coming weeks, either, as Mancs will be gathering to pay tribute to another fellow inspiring sportsman.
Rare picture of David Bowie’s legendary one-off gig in Stockport unearthed
Danny Jones
A rare picture taken from the night of the late, great David Bowie’s legendary one-off gig in Stockport has been unearthed by a local whilst digging through his loft.
Imagine having that kind of history just squirrelled away in an attic…
As revealed by Stockport Music Story, after being supplied with the image by David Maynard, the snap was shared more than half a century on from the much-mythologised moment in Greater Manchester music history.
In fact, it was put on display and posted on social media quite literally 56 years to the day since Bowie played his only Stopfordian set on 27 April, 1970.
Maynard himself is featured in the newly discovered photograph (second from the left) and was one of the select and lucky few who were in the room for that very special show.
Organised by a group of teens on behalf of the Stockport Schools’ Students’ Union, the performance took place at the long-gone Poco a Poco music venue and club over in Heaton Chapel.
The storied space hosted many big names over the years – Gerry Marsden, Freddie Starr, Hank Marvin and more – but sadly closed in May of 1987 following a fire.
It went on to become the popular Hinds Head pub, which still serves punters to this day, but once had the honour of hosting a true artistic great and British icon.
For anyone wondering, this is indeed the same night on which David Robert Jones (yes, that’s Bowie‘s full birth name) missed his train home and had to sleep on the railway platform.
Here’s a BBC segment covering the tale back on its 55th anniversary in April 2025.
It may be a small and somewhat curious claim to fame, but native love the legend of it all nonetheless.
As for the other individuals pictured alongside him, Stockport Music Story (SMS) said: “The names of the people we know are David Maynard (2nd left), Roz Wood (3rd left), David Bowie, Bill Frost (2nd right), Stewart Rigby (right).”
They go on to add: “It would be amazing to find out who the other people in the photograph are and what they remember from that night.” We sincerely hope they do.
You can now see the plaque up close and personal at Stockport Station for yourselves and as for SMS’s growing archive of the region’s creative culture, you can find out tonnes more about other pieces of SK heritage right HERE.
The Manc -
9th November 2020 
