On Friday, Sarah Jessica Parker joined a host of celebrities including Andy Cohen, Emily Ratajkowski and Winnie Harlow to open a new Primark flagship store on West 34th Street in Manhattan. The event featured a blue carpet and the Empire State Building lit in cerulean, marking the Irish fast-fashion chain's latest US expansion.
The spectacle has bemused British observers, who are accustomed to Primark's reputation as a budget retailer known for bargains like three thongs for £10. In the UK, the chain is often nicknamed 'Primarni' and is associated with chaotic in-store experiences, environmental concerns and labour scrutiny.
The new Manhattan store, spanning 54,000 sq ft across three floors, offers a premium feel with an escalator and well-organised sections. A British journalist visiting the store noted it was 'unnervingly calm' compared to UK outlets, with tidy displays and a pair of pumps resembling Manolo Blahniks worn by Parker's character in Sex and the City.
Primark first opened in Dublin in 1969 as Penneys and rebranded for international expansion due to a trademark dispute. It entered the US market in 2015 and now operates 39 stores nationwide. Kevin Tulip, president of Primark US, called the flagship opening a 'defining moment', adding that 'great style should not come with an impossible price tag'.
While the store drew queues in New York, Primark's appeal has waned in the UK following a 2008 BBC Panorama investigation into its supply chain practices.
