Primark opens 500th store as physical expansion drives global growth
Primark has opened its 500th store with CEO Eoin Tonge calling it an "incredible milestone", as the value fashion retailer continues to make physical expansion the main engine of its international growth.
“Getting to 500 demonstrates the enduring strength of our store-led model. We see significant opportunities ahead to grow our store footprint and bring Primark to even more customers around the world,” Tonge said.
The brand's latest opening, an €8 million, 34,000 sq ft store in Naples, takes Primark’s Italian estate to 20 locations and its global footprint to around 20 million sq ft across 19 countries.
The pace of Primark's retail expansion is showing no signs of slowing down, with even more stores due to open this week, including in the US, Portugal and Romania.
The latest store openings follow the announcement that Primark is set to be separated from its parent company Associated British Foods (ABF) by the end of 2027. The move comes after a significant review into the company structure in a bid to improve returns for shareholders, with ABF highlighting that it would also enable Primark to maximise the future potential "in existing and new markets".
New stores are supporting revenue growth
Primark’s commitment to physical retail comes as new openings provide much of its sales growth. Revenue increased 4% to £2.92 billion during the quarter ended 20 June 2026, although like-for-like sales declined 2.2%.
Five percentage points of growth during the period came from new stores. In the US, sales rose 16% after three openings brought the retailer’s estate there to 41 locations.
The expansion is continuing across established and newer markets. Primark expects to have 28 stores in Italy over the coming years, supported by a €22 million investment in new locations at Cremona, Ancona and Gorizia. A depot under development in Alessandria is expected to begin operating in 2027.
In Romania, where Primark opened its fifth store in June, the retailer plans to double its estate to eight locations. It has also confirmed a 29,000 sq ft store in Ashford, Kent, scheduled to open during the second half of 2027.
Digital investment remains tied to stores
While Primark has highlighted its investment in digital services, these are focused on supporting its store-led model. Its website, stock checker, mobile app (first introduced in the UK in April this year) and Click & Collect service are all designed to help customers find products and lead them back into stores.
So far, the retailer's position on introducing online delivery services remains unchanged, reflecting Primark's long-standing focus on maintaining low prices without the fulfilment and returns costs attached to conventional ecommerce.
With competition from online ultra fast fashion giant Shein growing, Primark has recently further doubled down on this positioning, lowering prices by up to 29% across hundreds of bestselling lines.
From one Penneys store in Dublin in 1969 to Primark’s store estate now encompassing 500 locations, TheIndustry.fashion has traced its key milestones over the years.
