Primark to open 100 stores in 3 years

«We have a clear target: from 420 shops worldwide in 16 different countries, we aim at reaching 530 shops by 2026. That means adding over 100 shops in the next two and a half years,» Luca Ciuffreda, head of Sales at Primark Italia, said. Just a year ago, the company inaugurated its largest store in Italy, the first and so far the only one in a city center, in Via Torino in Milan. «A large space of 5,000 square meters that has united three buildings and helped to strengthen the role of Via Torino, as well as collaborating with an association for the reintegration of women who have suffered violence». Primark, which started its presence in Italy only in 2016, is one of the fiercest players in low-cost fashion and accessories, with global sales of 7.7 billion pounds (around 9 billion euros) in the fiscal year ended November 8, and with the first six months of 2023 registering 4.2 billion pounds, around 4.9 billion euros. Founded in 1969, the label is part of British Group Abf. «There are 15 stores in Italy to date, with a total of 4,600 employees for Primark Italy. Therefore, we have added over 1,300 colleagues to the network in the last 12 months alone». In this interview for MFF, the manager talked about the role of Italy and the vision of sustainability and positioning.

How is the opening plan proceeding?

Primark has now over 420 stores worldwide in 16 different countries. We opened last thursday in Bratislava, Slovakia, the 16th country, and soon we will enter the 17th country, namely Hungary, with a store in Budapest. We have a clear target: from 420 worldwide in 16 different countries, we aim at reaching 530 stores by 2026. That means adding over 100 stores in the next two and a half to three years. Part of this expansion certainly includes the Us, which has a big goal of reaching 60 stores by 2026, almost tripling the current number. In the plan of opening these over 100 stores, in addition to the US, we are also targeting France, Spain, and Italy for this expansion.

Will there be new stores in Italy?

Since the opening in Via Torino a year ago, we have opened 7 other stores, namely one every 51 days. While in the beginning we focused on Norther and Central Italy, now Primark is also present in the south. The 400th store was opened in Sicily, one in Catania in December almost two years ago, then the recent openings, such as the one in Bari last January. We continue to work to monitor potential opportunities with a team of experts working on this on a daily basis.

Your production has been questioned in the past, given the very low-end prices. How does Primark’s supply chain work?

We do not own any factories, but we source from over 900 factories in 28 countries around the world, including Italy. We know that we have a responsibility for our supply chain, given the volumes, so we involve all the players in a circular way.

Will you bring used clothing take-back boxes to stores in Italy?

The Textile Takeback project gives the opportunity to our customers to bring their used clothes and we have bins in which to collect them. In Italy we are working on it, but it is not as easy as it has been in other countries because of bureaucratic issues. So, at the moment it is a work in progress thing.

What is the strategy you pursue? Are you the Benetton of the 2020s? The new H&M? How do you position yourselves?

Primark is for everyone. Our mission is to make fashion accessible to everyone at our prices. This is without going at the expense of quality, which is a priority for us. In this regard, the over 900 factories we source from must meet several requirements, the code of conduct being among them. Should these standards not be met we do not continue with orders. (All rights reserved)