Primark is expanding its presence in Italy.
The Irish textile discounter is investing 50 million euros in the Italian market and opening five new stores by 2026, Primark announced on Wednesday. After the opening of the new stores, the company will have a total of 20 branches in the country.
Four of the stores will move to cities new to Primark, including Livorno, Cosenza, Salerno and Genoa. The Genoa store will be located in the city center and is scheduled to open in 2026, while the stores in the other three cities will be located in shopping centers and are scheduled to open their doors as early as next year. Another store is planned in Turin. Primark opened a store there last November, and a second one is scheduled to follow in the ‘To Dream’ shopping center in 2024. In addition to LED lights that support Primark’s goal of halving its carbon footprint across its value chain by 2030, the new stores will also be equipped with self-service checkouts for the first time.
“Over the last eight years, Primark has experienced significant growth in Italy. We already have 15 stores in 10 provinces and have no intention of slowing down,” said Luca Ciuffreda, Director of Primark Italy. “Today we are proud to announce an ambitious investment in our store portfolio and the long-term growth of Primark Italy.”
With the opening of the five new stores, Primark is also investing in its workforce in Italy. The new branches are expected to create a total of 600 new jobs, increasing the number of employees at the textile discounter in Italy to a total of 5,000.
The expansion in Italy is part of the company’s growth plan, which plans to be present with a total of 530 stores in existing and newly developed markets by 2026. In Germany, after several store closures in recent months, Primark wants to expand its “branch network specifically in previously undeveloped regions and with smaller stores,” said Christiane Wiggers-Voellm, managing director of Primark Germany and Austria, and human resources manager Benjamin Weidmann at the beginning of the month.