Shoppers were queuing around both sides of the 70,000 sq ft (6,505 sq m) site and were advised that it would take at least an hour to reach the shop door.
Police on horses and marshals were drafted in to help manage the swathes of people arriving to see the store.
Retail Week witnessed the chaos first hand. The crowds were so large they prevented pedestrians from walking past the store on the pavement. The majority of customers were young women and those leaving the store had clearly spent a significant amount of money.
However, the store itself did not appear to be frantically busy, suggesting Primark may have added to the pandemonium by holding shoppers back to generate additional publicity.
Nearby stores such as Next were quiet, but Marks & Spencer had hired stilt walkers and celebrity Mylene Klass and put in new window displays at its Marble Arch flagship in an attempt to capitalise on the increased footfall.
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