This is when Primark is reopening in Bedford - but don't expect big sale bargains

Despite a £2b stock mountain built up during lockdown, Primark will be selling most of the goods at 'normal' prices when it opens on June 15.

All 153 stores in England, including the one in The Harpur Centre, are set to reopen on that date.

But the no discount announcement will disappoint bargain hunters, who were anticipating thousands of cut-price items.

Primark has lost money at a rate of £650m for every month that all of its stores were closed.

A spokesman for the retail chain's owners Associated British Foods (ABF) said: "The stock will be sold in the normal course of business, albeit at a later date."

All UK sites were shut in March as the lockdown was announced.

The company told investors it had no plans to launch an online operation despite the huge cost of the shutdown.

It said it had limited the financial damage by cutting costs by more than 50 per cent and would roll unsold stock over rather than sell it at a loss.

Finance chief John Bason told the Reuters news agency: "What we will do, because we've got the financial wherewithal, we'll carry it through to next year.

The ABF spokesman said: "As European governments have begun to ease restrictions on clothing retailing we have been able to reopen stores.

"Safety has been our highest priority in our detailed preparations to welcome our customers and employees back to stores. We are following government safety advice in all markets.

"Importantly, we will apply the valuable experience gained from more than 100 stores which are already open as we open the remainder of our estate, including stores across the UK.

"Social distancing protocols, hand sanitiser stations, perspex screens at tills and additional cleaning of high frequency touch points in the store are among the measures we are implementing."