EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Primark unveils Manhattan flagship

What can consumers expect when they enter the Herald Square flagship? 

Upon entering our 34th Street entrance, consumers encounter our “Trend Area” — the store’s fashion hub for women’s wear. This area will rotate regularly, and will feature new partnerships or high-demand collections. 

Our current collection features summer fashions and accessories from our collaboration with Spanish actress and model Paula Echevarría. We will swap this out every couple of weeks to keep this section fresh and up-to-date.

The first floor also features “Primark Scene,” which focuses on new, modern pieces spanning trendy tops and pants to denim and concert-inspired t-shirts. Meanwhile, our “Primark Edit” section highlights classic styles across contemporary wear, including matching sets, coordinated pieces, as well as essentials. 

The second floor features women’s lingerie, footwear, beauty and accessories. We also feature licensing partnerships, including our current “The Devil Wears Prada 2” loungewear inspired by the film and its iconic quotes.

What about the lower and top levels?

Our lower level is dedicated to menswear, which spans men’s suits, jeans, vacation wear and accessories. What makes our Herald Square flagship special is we are also leaning into local sports teams’ apparel and decor. 

We were already running low on New York Knicks apparel right before our grand opening since they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. (As of May 26, the New York Knicks won the NBA Eastern Conference.)

We also have a section with apparel dedicated to the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament happening across the river in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, beginning June 11.

Our top floor is dedicated to children, spanning newborns to 15 year olds. The section leans heavily into licensing partnerships, including K-Pop Demon Hunters, Disney and local sports teams. 

On the opposite side of the floor is our home section, which includes bedding, lighting, luggage and seasonal essentials.

What are some of the store’s most notable design elements?

Our trademark pastel blue and white branding is highlighted throughout the space. Also, the entire store, from retail space to our fitting rooms, is created with recycled and sustainable materials. Even our cash wraps are encased in sustainable materials and metals.

LED lights are featured throughout the space. Paired with white walls and wood trimmed fixtures, the lighting boosts the vibrancy of our merchandise. 

One of the store’s hallmarks is the atrium roof on the third floor. Besides offering a ton of natural light that floods the retail space, you get a great view of the top of the Empire State building as you come up the escalator.

The store also features a total of 35 fitting rooms, with 10 rooms on the men’s floor, and 25 on the second level. 

Another unique feature is our “press room,” which is a 350-sq.-ft. multi-use space that can host creators, media and brand partners. The space also features an edit of top trending and new items, and can be used as a fitting room, if needed. 

Tell us about the checkout experience.

We want to give our customers the flexibility to checkout the way they are most comfortable so we offer both manned and self-checkout options. In total, we have six self-checkout units in the basement level, nine on the first floor which are complemented by six manned POS stations, and another nine self-service units and six stationary POS stations on the second level. 

We are very excited about our checkout experience, but knowing how popular self-checkout technology is, we needed to create value. That’s why we relied on customer feedback to create the best format. 

Our self-checkout solution includes a substantial basket that fits all of shoppers’ merchandise, an integrated scanner panel as well as a handheld scanner making it easy to scan all merchandise. 

The self-checkout sections are manned by up to three hosts available to help shoppers with their checkout experience, and also scan customer receipts enabling shoppers to leave the gated self-checkout area.

What were some of the biggest surprises you encountered when developing the store?

To deliver a store of this quality, partnerships with all New York City authorities was paramount — and our construction lead did a exceptional job cultivating them all and keeping the project on point. 

We really worked hard to earn our business reputation and took that mindset into New York City. And we are also aware this is a city where you need to “earn it” to succeed. 

How did you promote the opening to New Yorkers?

Primark hosted a free block party celebration in Herald Square where we “painted the town” in Primark’s pastel blue and white! We used digital screens in Herald Square to promote the opening and hosted events featuring color-coordinated pedi-cabs, Instagram photo opportunities, live music spun by DJ Luna Rósa, as well as lattes, Primark-inspired snacks and Irish step and hip-hop shows and lessons led by performance crew Fusion Fighters.

Now that Herald Square is open for business, what does your expansion strategy look like for the remainder of the year?

Right after our Herald Square opening, we debuted another new location the East coast on May 17: a  30,000-plus-sq.ft. store in the Mall at Prince George’s in Hyattsville, Md. 

Both the New York City and Maryland stores  give us 41 locations across the United States. Looking ahead, we have 11 more locations planned to open by the end of the year.

The exciting thing about the United States is how different each customer segment really is. Upstate New York is vastly different from southern Florida, for example. 

We will continue to learn from the population in each area, and create assortments and experiences based on what the consumers teach us — and need.