Primark's new Ballymena store represents £5m investment in the town

To mark the occasion, the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Jackson Minford joined the store team on Friday morning, December 5 to officially cut the ribbon of the new branch.

At 26,000 square feet, the newly-relocated store is double the size of the retailer’s previous premises in the Tower Centre.

Also doubled is the workforce, with 70 new colleagues joining the 70 plus already employed by the company in the town.

Alongside the usual clothing, home and beauty lines, the unit has modern upgraded fitting rooms, improved signage and LED lighting, and 10 self-checkout machines in addition to the traditional tills.

The store has also made use of sustainable materials during its fit-out, with items such as display tables from sustainable sources.

Some 74 percent of Primark’s clothes are now made from recycled or more sustainably sourced fibres.

The company is hoping to increase this to 100 percent by 2030, said Fintan Costello, Head of Primark Ireland and Northern Ireland.

"Opening our new Ballymena store is a special moment for our whole team, especially the long-standing colleagues who have served our customers here for so many years,” Fintan added.

"We’re delighted to offer customers a bigger and better store with more of the great value fashion and everyday essentials they love. This £5 million store investment is an important boost for the local community, and we look forward to welcoming customers through the doors and helping them do all their Christmas shopping. We remain committed to Northern Ireland and are continually improving our store network to ensure our customers enjoy the very best of Primark every time they visit.”

Ryan Walker, Owner of the Fairhill shopping centre, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Primark to its new location here at Fairhill. This investment is a major boost for Ballymena and a proud moment for Fairhill as we look towards a vibrant future. Primark’s new store strengthens our retail offering, creates valuable local jobs, and brings a fresh sense of excitement just in time for Christmas. We’re thrilled to see this next chapter begin and look forward to welcoming even more shoppers through the doors of Fairhill.”

The store’s opening also marks a new chapter for colleagues Lynne, Prudence and Pearl, who have all worked for Primark for 42 years.

While they’ve seen many changes in the world of retail over that time, customers have remained loyal to the brand. “Even with online shopping, people do still like to come in to the store,” Lynne said.

“[The new shop] is lovely to see – Ballymena deserves it.”

Across Northern Ireland, Primark employs 1,400 colleagues in its 10 stores.

The Ballymena’s relocation is the latest milestone in the retailer’s investment across Northern Ireland, where it now operates 10 stores including Belfast, Craigavon, Derry/Londonderry, Lisburn, Newtownabbey, Newtownards, Newry, and Omagh.

Earlier this year, Primark launched Primark Home in Belfast, its first-ever standalone homeware store and a world-first for the brand.