UK’s largest Primark aims for major city centre boost

Sep 12 2007 by Staff Reporter, Liverpool Daily Post

THE opening of Liverpool’s first ever Primark store today will give the city centre a massive boost, just months ahead of the opening of Grosvenor’s Paradise Street scheme.

Ed Oliver, deputy chairman of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce said last night: “People who had started to write-off Church Street by saying Grosvenor would deliver a death knell will be proved wrong.

“To get Primark’s largest store – bigger even than their London shop – in our existing retail core is absolutely terrific. The rest of the retail businesses could not wait for this day because more people will be attracted into the city centre.

“Primark is employing 800 people, making it a major jobs generator for Liverpool. I have toured the five floors of the new shop and it really will deliver a wow factor. I will predict that within months the Liverpool store will race to the number one spot in Primark’s sales league table. It really has been worth waiting for.”

The 84,000 sq ft store, over five floors, larger than Primark’s 70,000 sq ft store in London’s Oxford Street, occupies a prime shopping site in what was the original flagship Littlewoods store in post-war Spinney House.

For the past few months the building has been completely refurbished in Primark’s latest format.

The ground floor and first floor features women's fashion including accessories and hosiery.

Women’s ingerie and homeware ranges are on the second floor. Footwear along with childrenswear under the Rebel, Girl 2 Girl, YD and Early Day brands are located on the third floor while menswear is on the lower ground floor.

In the last 22 months, Primark’s combined selling space has increased more than 70% through the opening of 56 stores in the UK, Ireland and its first two stores in Spain.

All the latest autumn/winter trends will be featured in store including the firm’s range of organic cotton shirts, and dedicated followers of fashion will be flocking to see if they can spot this season’s must have items.

And they will be carrying their purchases in Primark’s newest innovation, an eco-friendly paper carrier bag. The company has committed to reduce non-recyclable plastic bag usage.

Primark is geared towards the fashion-conscious under 35’s market. The store group operates a total of 170 shops in the UK, Spain and Ireland, where it trades under the Penneys brand, employing over 23,500 people. In 2006, Primark opened its first two stores in Spain, Plenilunio in Madrid and Nueva Condomina in Murcia. In Autumn 2007, two new stores will open in Jerez and Xanadu in Madrid.

Primark is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, an alliance of companies, trade unions and non profit organisations that aims to promote respect for the rights of people in factories and farms worldwide.

However, campaigners plan to hand in a petition to store managers on Saturday claiming suppliers exploit cheap labour in the Third World.

Primark, which took over most of the Litllewoods shops, is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods, the international food, ingredients and retail group with global sales of £6.0bn, and 75,000 employees in 46 countries.

Most of the more than 40 stores acquired are already trading under the Primark name.