New Primark store opens at Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon

The new store has created 140 jobs for the local area and represents a £6 million investment by the fashion retailer, becoming a brand new anchor tenant in the shopping centre. Craigavon is now the retailer’s ninth location in Northern Ireland.

When the doors opened, excited customers were greeted by a tunnel of Primark employees as they entered the 30,800 sq. ft. store, which offers customers the latest everyday trends across womenswear, menswear, kidswear, beauty, lifestyle, and homewares all on one floor. Just in time for the festive season, customers can also look forward to shopping partywear and winter essentials, all at affordable prices.

The new Primark store is part of the retailer’s recent announcement to invest £140 million in its UK business over the next two years, by growing its store estate in addition to store upgrades and refurbishments planned for existing stores across the UK.

Speaking at the opening, Lord Mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Councillor Paul Greenfield said: “It is fantastic to be here today to mark the opening of this wonderful new Primark store in the popular Rushmere Shopping Centre. This has been a long-requested addition to the area, and it is clear from the excitement here this morning that the people of Craigavon and the surrounding areas have been looking forward to its opening. We welcome this investment by Primark and are pleased to see the creation of 140 new retail jobs which will no doubt be a boost to the local economy.”

Jacqui Byers, area manager for Primark Northern Ireland added: “We are delighted to open the doors at our brand-new Primark Craigavon store today, just in time for Christmas! This is an exciting new location for us, and we are proud to have expanded our presence across Northern Ireland and to see the people of Craigavon and surrounding towns in shopping with us today.

"Following the amazing reopening of Bank Buildings last month, our teams have worked tirelessly to get this new store up and running in time for Christmas, and I would like to thank my colleagues who have been working so hard to make sure we deliver the best in-store experience to our customers. So, whether it’s festive fashion, winter homewares or everyday essentials, there is something for everyone at Primark Craigavon!”

Martin Walsh, Rushmere Centre manager said: “We are thrilled to see the doors open at the fantastic new Primark store in Rushmere. This has been long requested by our customers and is a real boost ahead of Christmas. We are very confident that it will be a great success and have no doubt the new Primark employees will receive a warm welcome at Rushmere.”

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart welcomed the arrival of the popular retailer to Craigavon, saying that it would be a big draw for the area.

The DUP representative attended the official opening and said the impressive new store will provide a retail boost for local shoppers as well as significant employment opportunities.

Speaking at the opening, Carla Lockhart said: “It is absolutely fantastic to welcome Primark to Rushmere. When Debenhams closed, it was very much a case of needing to find a big name to act as an anchor tenant in this large unit. It is wonderful that Primark seized this opportunity and today we see the first customers in this beautiful store.

"This is a timely boost for the centre, with a big high street name acting as a draw to bring people through the doors to benefit all the retailers here with increased footfall. For employment, we have seen Primark create over 100 jobs in the store and that is fantastic news for our jobs market.

"Of course the main winner here is the consumer. Primark in Belfast, since its reopening in the Bank Buildings, has been hugely successful as people shop looking for some value in these challenging economic conditions. Primark certainly offers that to the shopper and I have no doubt this will ensure the new Craigavon store is a huge success.”

The opening of the Rushmere store follows just six weeks after the newly refurbished, five-storey flagship store at The Bank Buildings, Belfast reopened to the public on November 1. This represented an investment of £100 million to renovate and restore this iconic building in the centre of Belfast city and bring it back to its full glory, while also creating 300 new jobs, as part of Primark’s ongoing commitment to retail in Northern Ireland. Since its grand reopening, customers have returned to visit the new flagship store in record numbers with queues forming at weekends outside the store by customers wanting to come in and see Primark’s unique in-store experience and fashion offering.

The new Primark store in Craigavon will stock popular licensed ranges including NBA, Disney and NFL as well as popular fashion trends and winter essentials. It will also offer a wide range of clothes and products under its growing Primark Cares label, as part of the retailer’s pledge to make more sustainable fashion affordable for everyone. Already, 45 per cent of Primark’s clothes are made using recycled or more sustainably sourced materials, up from 25 per cent when the retailer launched its sustainability strategy in September 2021.