// The biggest Primark store in the retailer’s global estate opens in Birmingham today at 10am
// Primark Birmingham High Street spans five floors across 160,000 sq ft
// Employs more than 1000; comprising 500 new staff, 430 from a previous Birmingham store, and 100 in partner-run experiences
Primark will open its new Birmingham flagship store at 10am today, making it the value retailer’s biggest store in its global estate.
Birmingham High Street is also Primark’s 187th store in the UK and spans five floors across 160,000sq ft.
By comparison, the retailer’s previous largest shop in the UK was in Manchester, with three floors and around 155,000sq ft.
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Primark Birmingham High Street employs more than 1000 people.
Of that total, 500 are brand new staff members, while 430 are existing employees who have transferred from the Primark’s former store nearby on New Street.
In addition, more than 100 people are employed in partner-run experiences including chefs, hair stylists and beauticians.
The new store features Primark’s latest contemporary design and shop fit and hosts a range of customer experience propositions, including two cafes and a restaurant, a beauty studio and barber, and a bespoke t-shirt printing lab.
One of the two cafes within the store is a Disney cafe – and is the entertainment giant’s first officially licensed cafe located outside of its resorts and cruise ships.
There is also a Disney shopping area featuring official merchandise, along with a licensed Harry Potter section.
Moreover, the new store features Primark’s recycling scheme, where customers can recycle pre-loved clothes and shoes from any brand.
For staff members, there is a modern back of house area featuring a kitchen and cafe, and the store will become a regional hub for employee training and career development.
“Primark is proud to be a part of the fabric of Birmingham,” UK regional director Simon Gibbs said.
“We’ve been in this great city since 2002 and have witnessed its incredible transformation, including the opening of the Bullring in 2003 and Grand Central in 2015.
“The opening of Birmingham High Street gives us the opportunity to bring our flagship product range and the very best of Primark to our customers in this vibrant and diverse city, which is something we have wanted to do for many years.”
When news of the new store was first revealed in 2017, reports suggested Primark had acquired the former Pavilions site for £60 million in 2014.
The redevelopment plan for it was approved in January 2016.
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