Primark will invest £100mn in its UK stores this year, creating 700 jobs as a result of new stores and extensions, as it marks 50 years since opening its first store in Derby.
Following the announcement of a £140mn investment in November 2022, Primark will open brand new stores in Bury St. Edmunds, due to open on 06 March, as well as Teesside Park and Glasgow Fort later in the year.
Alongside these, Primark will open some of its biggest ever store extensions across the country: London’s Westfield Stratford store will almost double in size to more than 81,000sq. ft to become the second largest Primark in the capital. Looking to the north, Metrocentre in Gateshead, Tyneside, will grow to almost 80,000sq. ft of total shopping space once reopened later this year.
New store locations and extensions combined, Primark is set to reach almost 8mn sq. ft of selling space by the end of the year.
Whilst also relocating several Primark stores in Bradford, High Wycombe and Bolton to new and improved sites, 15 existing stores will be refurbished this year as part of its ongoing refit programme, with more stores to follow. This includes upgrading décor and store fixtures, alongside the continued rollout of LED lighting as part of Primark’s progress towards its commitment to halve its carbon footprint by 2030.
Two new store locations in Epsom, Surrey, and Newbury, Berkshire, are also confirmed and are set to open from 2025. These new locations will contribute in excess of 55,000 sq. ft of new retail space once open, serving as a further boost to local shopping destinations.
Kari Rodgers, UK retail director at Primark said: “We’ve changed a lot in the fifty years since we opened the doors on our first store in Great Britain in Derby back in 1974, but at our heart, we are still the same. We’re as committed as ever to offering the very best value on the high street and making great fashion more affordable and accessible for everyone.
“This latest investment will mean bigger and better stores, hundreds of new jobs across the country and shows our ongoing commitment to the UK high street.”
Since the retailer first opened the doors to its Derby store back in September 1974, Primark has expanded nationwide. Today, the retailer employs more than 30,000 people in the UK and has 192 stores across the nation’s cities and town centres, as well as shopping centres and retail parks.
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