12 things to know about Irish retailer Primark making its NC debut at Concord Mills
A popular Dublin-based retail store is making its North Carolina debut just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Primark, known for its budget-friendly prices, will open at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, near entrance 3 and Dick’s Sporting Goods at Concord Mills.
The 30,000-square-foot store is stocked with apparel for women, men and children, plus homeware and beauty supplies. Women’s jeans are priced $16 to $22 and dresses $11 to 25, while men’s jeans are $18 to $28 and men’s shirts are $14 to $28, according to Primark’s website.
The store will mark the opening with a weekend with a DJ, giveaways and food trucks.
“We’ve had 12 openings in 12 months, said Primark’s U.S. President Kevin Tulip. He spoke with The Charlotte Observer in an exclusive interview at the store on Wednesday.
Here’s are 12 things to know about Primark before heading to Concord Mills:
How do you pronounce Primark?
Primark is pronounced “pry-mark,” with a long “i,” Tulip said, despite debate even among European shoppers. Some of them say it as “e” as “pree-mark.”
Primark was Penneys
Primark was originally called Penneys in Ireland. It was rebranded Primark in the U.K. because JCPenney owns the trademark there. “If you go to Ireland now you still see the name Penneys,” Tulip said.
What type of store is Primark?
Primark isn’t an off-price retailer or a department store.
“The biggest difference is our product. Our product is this season’s style, up-to-date on trends and price point unique in the retail sector,” Tulip said.
Don’t expect to see discounts and bargains. “All of the work has already been done to get that price for our customers,” Tulip said.
Founded in Ireland in 1969, the first Primark store in the U.S. opened in 2015 in Boston. Including Concord, Primark has 24 stores in the U.S., mostly in the Northeast, with plans to open 60 stores by the end of 2026.
No other stores have been announced yet in the Carolinas. “But we’re constantly exploring,” Tulip said.
Why Primark chose Concord Mills
Primark has stores in downtowns, regional malls and outlet centers. Concord Mills “had a number of things that really ticked our box,” Tulip said.
The mills’ mall format is similar to Primark, which opened in August at another Simon-owned mall, Arundel Mills in Maryland.
It was also appealing for the store size, and position in the mall near the entrance and parking lot entrance.
Why can’t you shop Primark online
You can’t shop Primark online.
“Online for us would mean that the prices would need to increase,” Tulip said. “We believe that everything is about the in-store experience.”
But Primark customers can check what’s available in store.
Not all Primark stores are alike
Primark localizes merchandise.
A difference for Primark versus other retailers is local management can stock according to trends in each store.
“It’s the same global product but the merchandise is always a little bit different,” Tulip said. “We want it to feel local.”
That could include apparel with local sports teams, for instance.
Primark sells its own licensed products
Licensed products sold in the store include Disney, Marvel and DC.
“You’ll see quite a bit of Disney products, but it’s our product. We do all of the design and the production,” Tulip said. “So it’s a completely unique product to Primark.”
Primark keeps up with trends
The front of the store is the “trends” area, Tulip said, based on local customers.
Rita Ora Collection is the focus for opening day with dayware and the recently launched party-ware. Some items have already sold out in Boston stores, Tulip said. Expect prices such as $14 for a blouse to $33 for a sparkly blazer.
Check it out
There are four service checkout stations and 12 self-checkout stations.
Primark’s paper bags are made from the company’s cardboard boxes.
Note: The holiday bags can be reused to wrap gifts.
Fitting rooms for all
The fitting rooms are designed based on customer feedback.
To the left is all gender fitting rooms to be used by men, boys and families, with women only to the right.
The rooms also have locked doors instead of curtains.
Primark also no longer has a limit on the number of items that can be taken in to try on. “As a physical-only retailer, it’s incredibly important that we’re constantly talking to customers and constantly improving,” Tulip said.
A growing children’s section
The children area layout shows designated age groups up to age 15 for boys and girls.
Some of the sizing is a little bit different than U.S. retailers, “so we’ve used quite a bit of signage to help navigate for anyone who’s new to Primark,” Tulip said.
Primark has ‘lifelong fans’
Studies of brands missed when people move from Ireland found Penneys is missed, even more so than Guinness beer, Tulip said.
“We are one of the top-known brands across any sector in Ireland,” Tulip said. “There’s just a lot of lifelong fans.”
