The 34th Street location will bring the retailer’s growing U.S. presence to New York City
Key Takeaways:
- Primark is opening its first store in Manhattan, located on 34th Street, near Macy’s Herald Square.
- The 75,000-square-foot store is set to open in 2025, featuring a 54,000-square-foot selling space over four floors.
- This move is part of Primark’s U.S. expansion strategy, aiming to have 60 stores by 2026.
- Primark will face competition from established retailers in the Herald Square area, including Macy’s, H&M, and Zara.
- The Manhattan store is expected to showcase a fashion-forward product offering, with a special focus on licensed items such as NBA, NFL, Disney, and Netflix merchandise.
Primark, the family fashion retailer known for its affordable prices, has signed a lease for its first store in Manhattan, located on 34th Street, directly across from Macy’s Herald Square. The store, set to open in 2025, will occupy a 75,000-square-foot space, including a 54,000-square-foot selling area spread across four floors.
The site, currently occupied by Old Navy, sits at 150 West 34th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The new Primark store will feature entrances on both 34th and 33rd Streets, joining neighboring retailers such as Crocs and Skechers. It will face strong competition from established retailers in the area, including Macy’s, H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo.
Primark’s U.S. president, Kevin Tulip, highlighted the significance of the location, stating, “There’s a great competitor set in that area. It is certainly synonymous with retail. For a company like Primark that is building not just stores, but also its brand across the U.S., the ability to have a flagship store there is an incredible moment for us.”
When asked about the store’s potential performance, Tulip noted, “I wouldn’t be at liberty to say something around sales. From a square footage standpoint, it certainly isn’t our biggest store… But just given the area, given the amount of traffic that’s there, given the tourism, and given the foot traffic from commuters, we are expecting it to be a very, very busy store.”
The 34th Street location will sit adjacent to the newly revitalized Penn District, where Vornado Realty Trust has been investing $5.5 billion to modernize the area, including redevelopments of Penn 1 and Penn 2 towers and upgrades to retail properties and public spaces. Vornado’s executive vice president of retail leasing, Ed Hogan, said, “We are excited for Primark to open its first Manhattan location in this vibrant neighborhood.”
The new store will further boost Primark’s profile in the U.S., where the retailer first entered the market in 2015 with a store in Boston. Primark currently operates 27 stores in the U.S. and aims to expand to 60 by 2026. The Manhattan store will showcase a diverse product range, with a particular focus on fashion-forward items and licensed products from brands like the NBA, NFL, Disney, and Netflix.
In addition to the 34th Street flagship, Primark plans to open another store at Queens Center mall by the holiday season and expand into Texas and Tennessee with stores in McAllen and Cool Springs in 2025.
Primark has been strategically opening stores in former Sears and JCPenney locations and is expected to benefit from the closure of some Macy’s locations. The retailer’s U.S. expansion has been cautious but steady, focusing on high-traffic malls and entertainment venues.
Founded in 1969 in Ireland, Primark operates over 450 stores in 17 countries. The company is owned by Associated British Foods, which is based in London.