Primark to invest 75 million pounds into UK store network

Budget retailer Primark is preparing to make a large-scale investment into its UK retail network, with a slew of new store openings and further expansions expected to take place this year.

A new 75 million pound investment is to go into its British store estate over the course of 2024, the company revealed on Thursday, building on past funding and bringing its total investment in the region to 100 million pounds for the year.

Among the new store openings will be a location in Bury St. Edmunds, which is due to open March 6, as well as Teesside Park and Glasgow Fort, both scheduled for later in the year.

New locations will also be open from 2025 in Epsom, Surrey, and Newbury, Berkshire, bringing its network to 195 stores.

Primark to bring UK retail network to 195 stores

A series of store expansions are also on the agenda, with its Westfield Stratford location to almost double in size to over 81,000 square feet and its Metrocentre store in Gateshead set to grow to almost 80,000 square feet following its reopening later in the year.

A further 15 existing stores will also be refurbished this year as part of the company’s ongoing refit programme, through which upgraded interiors and fixtures will be introduced.

In a release, Kari Rodgers, UK retail director for 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.”