Shopping Centers Today

NOV 2014

Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)

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A U.S. expansion had been anticipated for years, though observers speculated that the choice would be New York City. The company chose Boston instead, be- cause, according to one source, that city's large Irish population would identify with the retailer. The chain was established in 1969 in Dublin, and it is called Pen- neys in the Republic of Ireland, though Primark everywhere else. Otherwise, the company is saying little about its expan- sion plans. Though Primark's appeal was al- ways its fashionable clothes inexpensive enough to replace season by season, the brand got an extra shot of cachet when the wives and girlfriends of U.K. soccer players were seen shopping there. The numbers seem to indicate that something is right somewhere. Revenue totaled nearly £4.3 billion (close to $7 billion) for the 2012–'13 financial year. Primark is keen to expand. The chain RImARK hAS BeCOme ONe Of eUROPe'S most successful budget-apparel chains, with roughly 300 stores across the U.K., Austria, Belgium, france, Germany, the Neth- erlands, Portugal and Spain. Next up is the U.S., where Primark is primed to open its inaugural store in Boston, in the latter part of next year. The chain will take over some 70,000 square feet in the downtown building that filenes Basement once occupied. has announced that negotiations are already under way to open as many as eight additional stores in the Northeast region of the U.S., beyond the Boston debut. Still, this leap across the pond will probably be no hop, skip and jump, ob- servers say. "North America is a tougher market than europe," said Stephen Springham, a U.K.-based senior retail analyst at Planet Retail. "The key differ- ence is the competitive landscape. The U.S. has much more heritage — and ca- pacity — at the value end of the apparel spectrum. Think forever 21 in the fast- fashion space, Old Navy in value family apparel, TJX's T.J.maxx and marshalls banners in off-price." All that competi- tion notwithstanding, though, Spring- ham says Primark can succeed, because it seems set to avoid overheating, in favor of a more deliberate pace akin to that P Next stop after conquering europe, primark is turning its attention to the u.s. r e t a i l i n g t o d a y 22 S C t / n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

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