Primark is opening its first store in Manhattan as US expansion ramps up

Primark has signed a lease to open its debut store in Herald Square on 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, according to Women’s Wear Daily.

The new 75,000 sq ft store, which includes 54,000 sq ft of selling space across four levels, will be Primark’s first US flagship store.

The new store will be the value fashion retailer’s 11th location in the state of New York, once its new store at the Queens Center also opens later this year.

Primark said the new store will offer a range of its fashion, beauty and homeware products, and the opening date is yet to be confirmed.

Primark US president Kevin Tulip said: “Opening a location in the epicentre of US fashion is going to be an exciting milestone for Primark US.

“When the opportunity arose to bring Primark to Herald Square in Manhattan, a store with exceptionally high foot traffic, national influence and perfectly located to attract customers who already know us from other Primark stores in the boroughs and surrounding areas, we knew it was the perfect fit.

“We’re thrilled to bring more affordable quality fashion directly to Manhattanites, commuters and people across the world who are visiting the great city of New York.”

Sharing the news on LinkedIn, chief executive Paul Marchant added: “This is an exciting day, not just for our US team, but for the global Primark community.

“Today we announce our new lease in Herald Square, an iconic shopping district at the epicentre of fashion and culture, in Manhattan.

“Last week I had the opportunity to visit the site that will become Primark Herald Square and the area was buzzing with energy from the 650,000 people that come through Penn Station every day.

“This is an important milestone for our US expansion and I’m incredibly proud of the team on the ground including our existing stores in New York that have paved the way for this flagship.”

The news comes as Primark announced earlier this year that it was opening a new Florida-based distribution centre as well as four new stores at shopping centres across Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee and Texas.

The value fashion giant said it has seen “growing demand” for the Primark brand in the US and that the new distribution centre had come at “the perfect time for the brand”.

In Primark parent company Associated British Foods’ most recent trading update, the company said it is making “good progress” in the US and that it expects sales to increase by 25% in the region during the second half of the year.