Exclusive: Primark has opened the doors to four new stores in four countries today in a bumper opening day for the fashion retailer as it continues to bolster its international store portfolio ahead of Christmas.
Primark said it has invested a total of more than €45m (£37.3m) in the openings which include Glasgow, Scotland; Tours, France; Queens, New York and a relocation in Madrid, Spain.
The new stores, which have collectively resulted in the creation of 580 new jobs, add 130,000 sq ft of retail space to Primark’s total footprint worldwide.
Primark told Retail Week it has invested more than £7.5m in its new Glasgow Fort store, which marks the retailer’s 21st store in Scotland and its 195th store in the UK, and comes as part of its £100m investment into its UK store estate this year.
The new store in the Queens Center, New York, is the second in the borough and brings Primark’s US store estate to a total of 28 across 11 states.
In Europe, Primark has opened its doors for the first time at L’Heure Tranquille shopping centre in Tours, France, as well as relocating its existing store in Leganés, just outside of Madrid, Spain.
With an eye on the new Spanish store, the relocation will see Primark double the size of its previous store location within the Westfield-owned Parquesur shopping centre.
The fashion retailer noted that in its Tours-based store 80% of its staff members are either in their first job or were unemployed before taking on the role, reflecting the “key role that retail plays in creating employment opportunities”.
Primark chief executive Paul Marchant said: “This is an exciting day on our growth journey and a first for Primark. Opening four stores across two continents on one day highlights the scale of our global ambition, helping more people to look and feel good for less.
“With 580 new jobs created, we know these stores not only give a boost to the local communities, but they also bring what we call the “Primark halo effect” to the shopping destinations – which is the positive impact of the footfall to our stores on surrounding businesses.
“A huge thanks to all of our colleagues and partners who have worked so hard to get these stores open for the busy festive season.”
The news comes after Primark introduced a new store format to the UK for the first time last week when it opened the doors to a new store in Bolton.
The opening followed a trial of its new concept in Montijo, Portugal, but director of space optimisation and store design Mark Jordan emphasised that this wasn’t the end of larger scale openings at Primark and that it is all about finding the right size for the right market moving forward
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