Primark is making big moves right now. While concerns over sustainability and the climate are on the up, the fast fashion chain remains a favourite among high street shoppers. So much so that it has revealed a huge £100m scheme to buy new stores and give existing ones a bit of a glow-up.
As part of the plans, Primark has already announced openings in five new locations, including Glasgow and Bury St Edmunds. By the end of the year it will have 195 stores across the country and claims that it will have created 700 new jobs. You can find out more about those openings on Time Out here.
But on top of all that, your existing local Primark could also be getting a facelift. The brand announced that a total 15 shops are set to be refurbished (with more to be announced soon), including its huge flagship Oxford Street East branch. Apparently, the makeovers will involve upgraded decor, revamped store fixtures and rollout of LED lighting as part of its climate commitments.
Meanwhile, the Westfield Stratford branch in London is set to almost double in size to over 81,000 sq ft, making it the second largest Primark in the capital, while the Metrocentre Primark in Gateshead will grow to almost 80,000 sq ft.
Talking about the investments, Kari Rodgers, Primark’s retail director, 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.’
Here’s the full list of Primark stores getting upgraded across the UK this year.
- Oxford Street East
- Bury
- Cwmbran Shopping Centre,
- Southport
- Yeovil
- Barnstaple
- Hackney
- Newry
- Birkenhead
- Hounslow
- Chelmsford
- Stockport
- Telford
- Chester
- Cambridge
What’s going on with UK high-streets?
The British high streets we all know and love are constantly chopping and changing. There’s been loads of closures announced in recent months (you can keep track of those here) but there’s also been a bunch of chains going from strength to strength. There are 110 brand new Asda stores landing this year, ten new Wagamamas, and even the potential return of Woolworths. The high-street is not dead yet, folks!
Did you see that this surprising brand is one of Britain’s fastest growing supermarket chains?
Plus: Is the Body Shop closing? What we know about store closures as the chain goes into administration.
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