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Primark
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The original shop on Mary Street, Dublin | |
| Penneys (in Ireland) | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 13 June 1969 in Dublin, Ireland |
| Founder | Arthur Ryan, Micaela Mitchell [1] |
| Headquarters | Arthur Ryan House, 22–24 Parnell Street, Dublin , Ireland |
Number of locations | 476[2] (2025) |
Area served |
|
Key people | Eoin Tonge (interim CEO) |
| Products | |
| Revenue | |
Number of employees | |
| Parent | Associated British Foods |
| Website | primark |
| Footnotes / references [3][4] | |


Primark Limited[5][6] (/ˈpriːmɑːrk/; trading as Penneys in Ireland)[7][8] is an Irish multinational fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland,[9] and 476 shops in Europe and in the United States and franchised shops in Kuwait and Dubai (opening 2026). The company was founded as Penneys; however, that brand is not used outside of Ireland because of a trademark conflict with American retailer JCPenney. Primark is owned by Associated British Foods.
Primark offers products including: baby, children's, women's and men's clothing, accessories and footwear; beauty products; housewares and confectionery. The company is known for its fast fashion and lower prices than competitors.[10]
It is a member of the UN Fashion Charter[11][12] and the Ethical Trading Initiative.[13] As of 2025, 74% of its garments use recycled fibers.[14]
The company has been criticised for sourcing products from suppliers with poor working conditions in investigations by War on Want, BBC News, as well as from notes found by alleged workers in clothing; however, some of these notes and footage have been determined to be fabricated or hoaxes.[15][16][17][18][19]
History
[edit]The company's first shop, named Penneys and still in operation today, was established at 47 Mary Street in Dublin by Arthur Ryan and his business partner Micaela Mitchell[1] in June 1969 on behalf of the Weston family, who had founded Allied Bakeries Limited in 1935, which was later renamed Associated British Foods (ABF).[3][20]
The first major shops outside of Dublin were opened in the cities of Cork and Belfast in 1971, both under the name of Penneys.[21][22]
The company opened a shop in Derby in 1973, marking its first expansion into Great Britain.[21] By 1974, it had 24 shops, including three in Scotland and two in England, all operating under the Penneys brand.[22]
JC Penney, an American company, opposed the use of Penneys as a business name. JC Penney registered the various business names of Penneys' parent company in countries throughout Europe, in order to put pressure on it to relinquish its registration of the Penneys brand, and issued court proceedings disputing the use of the brand. Following an injunction granted by the High Court of England in June 1974, the two shops in England were rebranded as Primark, named after the in-house clothing brand that had been introduced early on.[23] However, the Penneys brand continued to be used in Ireland and Scotland, and in 1975–1976, four more Penneys-branded shops were opened in Scotland and Northern Ireland.[22]
In a settlement of the trademark dispute, Penneys/Primark agreed that from 27 August 1976 onward, it would only use the Penneys brand in the Republic of Ireland, with its shops elsewhere, including in Northern Ireland, to be rebranded as Primark. In exchange, JC Penney agreed to relinquish its registration of the various business names of Primark's parent companies throughout Europe, and agreed not to trade under the Penneys brand in the Republic of Ireland.[22] Since that date, it has been known as Penneys in the Republic of Ireland and as Primark elsewhere.[3]
In 2005, Primark acquired UK retailer Littlewoods's retail shops for £409 million, retaining 40 of the 119 shops and selling the remainder.[24]
In May 2006, the first Primark shop in mainland Europe opened in Madrid, Spain.[25]
In December 2008, Primark opened in the Netherlands, followed by Portugal, Germany and Belgium in 2009.[26]
In January 2009, a supplier was forced by the Ethical Trading Initiative to remove its branding from Primark shops and websites following a BBC/The Observer investigation into the employment practices. The investigation alleged the use of illegal immigrant labour and argued that the workers were paid less than the UK legal minimum wage.[27]
In July 2009, having led the company since its foundation in 1969, Arthur Ryan retired as Chief Executive and became Chairman instead. He was replaced as Chief Executive by the company's Chief Operating Officer, Paul Marchant.[28][29]
Primark expanded into Austria in 2012, France in 2013, and Italy in 2014.[26]
On 24 April 2013, in the Rana Plaza collapse, a manufacturing facility for Primark and other international brands, collapsed, killing 1,134 people. Primark was the largest contributor of compensation, paying over US$10 million for deceased, missing, and injured claims.[30]
From 2014, Primark began selling makeup products.[31]
Primark opened its current headquarters in 2015 in a redeveloped Dublin building, Arthur Ryan House, formerly Chapel House.[32][33]
In 2015, Primark opened its first United States shop in Boston.[34]
Having built a chain of around 40 shops in Spain, Primark opened a second outlet in Madrid in October 2015, its second-biggest in the world.[35]
In April 2016, Primark opened its first shop in Milan.[36]
In March 2017, Primark opened its 7th shop in the United States and its first in New York State, a 55,100 square foot shop at the Staten Island Mall.[37]
Primark started selling vegan snacks from January 2018.[38]
The largest Primark shop opened in Birmingham in April 2019, occupying the former Pavilions Shopping Centre of 161,000 sq ft (15,000 m2), with five floors including a beauty salon, Disney-themed café and a barbershop, and adding the largest Greggs fast-food outlet in the world in February 2022.[39][40]
In June 2019, Primark expanded to Slovenia with a shop in Ljubljana.[41]
In February 2020, Primark launched a Wellness collection which includes 80 eco-conscious products made of organic, sustainable or recycled materials.[42][43]
As a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, in which many shops were closed for months, the company reported a sales loss of £430 million.[44]
In August 2020, Primark opened its first shop in Poland in the Galeria Młociny shopping centre in Warsaw.[45] This was followed by shops in Poznań, Kraków, Katowice, Wrocław and Łódź in 2021.[46]
In March 2021, Primark opened its first shop in Chicago.[47][48]
In June 2021, Primark opened the first shop in the Czech Republic in Prague, occupying the area of 50,590 sq ft (4,700 m2) and serving as a flagship for the region of Central and Eastern Europe.[49]
In December 2022, Primark opened its first shop in Romania, in Bucharest and announced a second shop to open in 2023.[50][51]
In November 2022, Primark introduced an online shopping service, inspired by losses during the COVID-19 lockdowns.[52][53]
In February 2024, Primark announced five new shop openings and the renovation of 15 shops, including its shop on Oxford Street. Primark also opened a distribution centre in Jacksonville, Florida.[54][55] It also announced a shop at The Mall at Prince George's.[56][57][58]
In May 2024, Primark unveiled a new brand identity, revealing a more curved and bold logo based on its 2005 logo, along with changing the colour slightly.[59]
Also in May 2024, Primark opened its first Hungarian shop in the Arena Mall in Budapest.[60]
In June 2024, Primark announced the intent to invest more than €40 million on its Portuguese business, including opening four further shops in Portugal, as part of its plan to have 530 shops internationally by 2026.[61]
In June 2024, the Colombo Centre shop extension, in Lisbon, was inaugurated. With a 40% increase in size to 6,038 square metres (64,990 sq ft), it became the largest single-floor Primark shop in the world.[62][63]
In October 2024, Primark announced its first shop in Manhattan, a 74,000-square foot location in Herald Square.[64]
In January 2025, Primark announced 3 new shops in Poland.[65]
In March 2025, in Belfast, Primark opened its first ever standalone homeware shop.[66]
Also in March 2025, Paul Marchant resigned as CEO of Primark following an investigation into inappropriate behaviour towards a woman in a social setting. Marchant admitted to an error in judgement, apologised to the individual, the ABF board and his colleagues, and accepted that his actions fell below the company's expected standards. Eoin Tonge, ABF's finance director, was appointed as interim CEO.[67][68]
In April 2025, Primark opened a 32,000 square foot shop at Potomac Mills, its second shop in Virginia.[69]
Also in April 2025, Primark opened a shop at the Espaço Guimarães Shopping Center, its 12th shop in Portugal.[70]
In May 2025, Primark entered into a franchise agreement with Alshaya Group to open four shops in the Arabian Peninsula, including a shop in The Avenues shopping centre in Kuwait, and three shops in Dubai, at the Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and City Centre Mirdif.[71] The shop in Kuwait opened in October 2025.[72]
In August 2025, the company launched a mobile app.[73]
In November 2025, Primark announced a 33,000 square foot shop at Dolphin Mall, its first shop in Miami.[74][75]
Also in November 2025, Primark opened its first new shop in Germany in five years.[76]
In December 2025, Primark announced a shop at Brandon Exchange, its first shop in the Tampa Bay area.[77] However, Primark also announced the closure of its first UK shop in a decade at Dartford. The last trading day is set for 3 January 2026.[78]
Corporate affairs
[edit]| Year | Revenue (£m) |
Adjusted operating profit (£m) |
Number of employees (1000s) |
Number of shops |
Number of served countries |
Selling space (million sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 6,950 | 662 | 54 | 278 | 9 | 10.2 |
| 2015 | 5,347 | 673 | 61 | 293 | 10 | 11.1 |
| 2016 | 5,949 | 689 | 68 | 315 | 11 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 7,053 | 735 | 73 | 345 | 11 | 13.8 |
| 2018 | 7,477 | 843 | 75 | 360 | 11 | 14.8 |
| 2019 | 7,792 | 913 | 78 | 373 | 12 | 15.6 |
| 2020 | 5,895 | 362 | 70 | 384 | 13 | 16.2 |
| 2021 | 5,593 | 321 | 71 | 398 | 14 | 16.8 |
| 2022 | 7,697 | 756 | 72 | 408 | 14 | 17.3 |
| 2023 | 9,008 | 735 | 76 | 432 | 16 | 18.1 |
| 2024 | 9,448 | 1,108 | 82 | 451 | 17 | 18.7 |
| Country | Number of shops |
|---|---|
| England | 157[80] |
| Spain | 63[81] |
| Republic of Ireland | 38[82] |
| Germany | 32[83] |
| US | 28[84] |
| France | 27[85] |
| Scotland | 21[86] |
| Netherlands | 21[87] |
| Italy | 16[81] |
| Portugal | 10[81] |
| Northern Ireland | 9[88] |
| Belgium | 8[89] |
| Poland | 8[90] |
| Wales | 8[91] |
| Austria | 5 |
| Romania | 4[92] |
| Czech Republic | 3[93] |
| Slovenia | 1[94] |
| Hungary | 1[95] |
| Slovakia | 1[96] |
| Kuwait | 1 |
| Total | 460 |
In popular media
[edit]In January 2024, RTÉ broadcast a six-part documentary, entitled Inside Penneys, exploring the workings of the company.[97][98]
Gallery
[edit]-
Primark shop at High Street in Birmingham, England, the largest in the chain
-
Interior of the Primark shop at Gran Vía in Madrid, Spain
-
Primark in the former Lewis's Building in Manchester city centre, Manchester, England
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Primark in the Aqua Shopping Centre, Portimão, Algarve region, Portugal
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Primark in The Hague, Netherlands
-
Primark in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jones, David (11 July 2008). "Fashion Swing is felt by Penney's". The Independent. Dublin.
- ^ O'Mahony, Proinsias (10 November 2025). "Penneys moment: Could a long-awaited spin-off finally pay off?". The Irish Times.
- ^ a b c "A household Irish name built from humble beginnings: The Penneys story". TheJournal.ie. 1 March 2015.
- ^ "Annual Report and Accounts". Associated British Foods. 2024.
- ^ "Primark Limited". Solo Check.
- ^ "Primark Limited". Companies Registration Office.
- ^ Horton, Helena (15 August 2017). "Primark reveals how to pronounce its name". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ "Penneys owner eyes significant growth in full-year profit". 23 April 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024 – via www.rte.ie.
- ^ "Primark Holdings". SoloCheck.ie.
- ^ "Faster, cheaper fashion". The Economist. 5 September 2015.
- ^ Shearsmith, Tom (29 October 2020). "Primark joins the UN Fashion Charter". TheIndustry.fashion.
- ^ "Fashion Charter - Participants". United Nations Climate Change.
- ^ "Report on Primark inquiry". Ethical Trading Initiative. 19 January 2010.
- ^ Hill, Eloise (28 November 2025). "Primark increases products made using recycled fibres". Retail Gazette.
- ^ "Fashion Victims II" (PDF). War on Want.
- ^ Burrell, Ian; Hickman, Martin (16 June 2011). "BBC crisis over 'fake' sweatshop scene in Primark documentary". The Independent. London.
- ^ "Primark investigates claim of 'cry for help' note in trousers". BBC News. 25 June 2014.
- ^ McDonald, Henry (25 June 2014). "Primark denies purchasing clothes made in forced labour camps or prisons". The Guardian.
- ^ Cherrington, Rosy (21 December 2015). "Man Finds Letter Claiming To Be From Chinese Torture Victim In Primark Socks". HuffPost.
- ^ Jones, David (11 July 2008). "Fashion swing is felt by Penneys' owners". Irish Independent. Dublin. Reuters.
- ^ a b O'Neill, Louise (19 January 2014). "Why Penneys is no longer our little secret". Irish Examiner. Dublin.
- ^ a b c d "78/193/EEC: Commission Decision of 23 December 1977 relating to a proceeding under Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (IV/29.246 – Penneys)". Commission of the European Communities. 23 December 1977.
- ^ Malone, Emmet; Slater, Sarah (3 August 2025). "Hilary Weston, who helped build Penneys and Brown Thomas, has died aged 83". The Irish Times.
- ^ Finch, Julia (8 August 2005). "M&S to cash in as Littlewoods disappears". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Fuchs, Dale (20 May 2006). "Primark comes to Spain". The Guardian. Madrid.
- ^ a b Ruddick, Graham (16 December 2013). "Primark targets chic French shoppers as it opens in Marseille". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ McDougall, Dan (11 January 2009). "Primark in storm over conditions at UK supplier". The Guardian. London.
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- ^ "Arthur Ryan obituary: Legendary retailer and Penneys founder". The Irish Times. 12 July 2019.
- ^ "Primark make $9m pay-out over disaster". Irish Examiner. 17 March 2014.
- ^ Partington, Lucy (5 March 2014). "Primark has got a brand new makeup range". Cosmopolitan.
- ^ "Primark officially opens redeveloped Dublin HQ". RTÉ News. 17 September 2015.
- ^ McCabe, Sarah (29 November 2013). "Expansion plans on course for Penneys international HQ in Dublin". Irish Independent. Dublin.
- ^ Ruddick, Graham (23 April 2014). "Primark to open in the United States". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ O' Leary, Elizabeth (15 October 2015). "Penney's opens its second biggest store in the world in Spain". Irish Independent. Dublin.
- ^ "Primark opens first Italian store in Milan". RTÉ.ie. 14 April 2016.
- ^ Picht, Jennifer (17 March 2017). "Take a look at New York's first Primark!". Time Out.
- ^ Chiorando, Maria (29 January 2018). "Budget Chain Primark Starts Selling Vegan Snack Range". Plant Based News.
- ^ Young, Graham (19 July 2019). "100 days of the world's biggest Primark – and Mickey Mouse pancakes". Birmingham Mail.
- ^ Young, Graham (11 February 2022). "First look inside the world's biggest Greggs in Primark – with a doughnut swing". Birmingham Mail.
- ^ "Primark opens its first store in Slovakia". RTÉ News. 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Primark's new Wellness collection has landed and prices start from just £2". The Mail on Sunday. 5 March 2020.
- ^ White, Emma (5 March 2020). "Primark's brand new Wellness Collection is here and we want everything". Woman & Home.
- ^ Nilsson, Patricia (4 December 2020). "Lockdowns wipe £430m off Primark sales". Financial Times. London. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022.
- ^ Whelan, Grace (20 August 2020). "Primark makes Polish debut". Drapers.
- ^ "Primark opens store in Poznań on March 25". Warsaw Business Journal. 15 March 2021.
- ^ Rozario, Kevin (16 March 2021). "After Chicago State Street Opening, Primark Says It Is 'Just Getting Going'". Forbes.
- ^ Zumbach, Lauren (5 July 2019). "Fast-fashion brand Primark to open Chicago store on State Street". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Nine new brands have entered the Czech market in H1 2021". Cushman & Wakefield. 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Primark to open first shop in Romania before Christmas". Romania-Insider.com. 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Primark opens its first store in Romania". RTÉ News. 15 December 2022.
- ^ "Primark finally goes online with click-and-collect". BBC News. 14 November 2022.
- ^ "Primark website crashes as click-and-collect launched". BBC News. 14 November 2022.
- ^ Beevers, Angela (8 February 2024). "Primark continues US expansion with new Florida distribution centre". Retail Bulletin.
- ^ Morgan, Aoife (8 February 2024). "Primark to invest £100m in UK stores in 2024 – Retail Gazette". www.retailgazette.co.uk.
- ^ "Primark to open store at Mall at Prince George's in Hyattsville". Daily Record. 7 February 2024.
- ^ "PREIT Looks Forward to Welcoming Coveted Brand Primark to Mall at Prince George's" (Press release). PR Newswire. 7 February 2024.
- ^ Kline, Alan (7 February 2024). "Primark is opening two more big-box stores in D.C. region". American City Business Journals.
- ^ Wright, Georgia (21 May 2024). "Primark unveils 'refreshed' brand identity and new summer campaign – Retail Gazette".
- ^ Manock, Emily (28 May 2024). "Primark opens first store in Hungary". Drapers.
- ^ "Primark plans €40m expansion in Portugal". The Irish Times. 20 June 2024.
- ^ Bresic, Trelawney (24 June 2024). "Primark, Portugal: expansion and new jobs". EuroWeekly News.
- ^ Burke, Jade (20 June 2024). "Primark ramps up Portuguese store expansion". Drapers.
- ^ Moin, David (8 October 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: Primark Plans to Open Its First Manhattan Store". Women's Wear Daily.
- ^ "Primark to open 3 new stores in Poland in €25m investment". RTE. 13 January 2025.
- ^ Kelly, Justin (6 March 2025). "Penneys open first Irish store dedicated to homewares amid huge excitement". Limerick Leader. Limerick.
- ^ Onita, Laura (31 March 2025). "Primark chief Paul Marchant resigns after investigation into inappropriate behaviour". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Irish man given nod to head up Penneys was cutting his teeth in business at 21". The Irish Times. 31 March 2025.
- ^ Hendriksz, Vivian (10 April 2025). "Primark opens second store in Virginia at Potomac Mills". Fashion United.
- ^ "Primark opens new Portugal store". The Portugal News. 12 April 2025.
- ^ Wright, Georgia (9 May 2025). "Primark to enter Middle East market with four stores by 2026 - Retail Gazette".
- ^ Weston, Sabina (23 October 2025). "Primark opens first Middle East store in Kuwait". Drapers.
- ^ Bruce, Anne (5 August 2025). "Primark app launches in Ireland and Italy". Drapers.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Benjamin (27 November 2025). "Primark to open first Miami store". Fashion Network.
- ^ Urbina, Yessy (19 December 2025). "A Look Inside Primark's First-Ever Miami Store". Miami New Times.
- ^ Pasquini, Linda; Berro, Emanuele (19 November 2025). "Primark eyes growth again in Germany with new store openings". Reuters.
- ^ Blair, Madalyn (16 December 2025). "Primark is coming to Tampa Bay". American City Business Journals.
- ^ Rodger, James (22 December 2025). "Primark closing first UK store 'in a decade' just after Christmas". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ "Annual Reports". Associated British Foods.
- ^ Mata, William (13 June 2025). "Primark to set up first homeware shop in major shopping centre". LBC.
- ^ a b c Keogh, Olive (21 July 2024). "Primark's Irish man in Spain: 'We sell roughly the same number of coats in Madrid as we do in Dublin'". The Irish Times.
- ^ Dooley, Hugh (25 June 2025). "Penneys parent Primark to cut about 100 jobs from Dublin HQ". The Irish Times.
- ^ Boland, Hannah (8 November 2022). "Primark mulls retreat from Germany after suffering £200m hit". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Kennedy, John (9 December 2024). "Four countries in one day for Primark | ThinkBusiness". Think Business.
- ^ Deslandes, Marion (26 March 2024). "Primark set to open five new stores in France between 2024 and 2025". Fashion Network.
- ^ Kennedy, John (9 December 2024). "Four countries in one day for Primark". Think Business.
- ^ Fish, Isabella (22 April 2021). "First look: Primark's new Rotterdam store". Drapers.
- ^ Bird, Alice (20 December 2022). "Primark opens new Northern Ireland store - Insider Media". Insider Media.
- ^ Fletcher, Madeleine (18 June 2019). "Primark store on Rue Neuve more than doubles in size following renovation". The Brussels Times.
- ^ "Primark wzmacnia swoją obecność w Polsce, zapowiadając dwa nowe sklepy na północy kraju". corporate.primark.com (in Polish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ "Primark staff in Wales celebrate as they announce £1 million raised". Noahs Ark Children's Hospital Charity. 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Primark to Open Fourth Store in Romania in September". Romania Journal. 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Primark to open a third store in Czechia by the end of 2024". Ex Pats CZ. 6 September 2024.
- ^ Quann, Jack (13 June 2019). "Penneys opens first store in Slovenia". Newstalk.
- ^ "Primark opens its first store in Hungary amid expansion". RTÉ News. 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Primark opens its first store in Slovakia". RTÉ News. 25 May 2023.
- ^ Fetherston, Sinann (8 January 2024). "Trend forecaster on bringing "an evolution of styles" to Penneys". RTÉ.
- ^ Power, Ed (9 January 2024). "Inside Penneys: A starry-eyed love letter to one of Ireland's great success stories". The Irish Times.