Primark Bank Buildings: queues of shoppers gather ahead of re-opening

The newly refurbished flagship store represents 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 following a devastating fire in August 2018.

It will be officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tina Black.

The retailer has created almost 300 new jobs at the bigger and better Primark store, including permanent and temporary seasonal positions, which will provide a significant boost to the local economy. This brings the total number of employees at Primark Bank Buildings to 500, making it one of the biggest retail employers in the city.

The reopening is a poignant moment for Primark, and the city of Belfast, following the blaze that gutted the interior of the 237-year-old heritage listed building and left the feature façade badly damaged. Over the past four years, major building renovation works were undertaken by Primark with the support of hundreds of crafts and tradespeople, including over 40 expert stone masons from across the UK and Ireland, who were tasked with carving new stone works and repairing existing stone as part of the restoration.

All the stone and marble on the building’s new façade was sourced from quarries in Finland, Scotland and Portugal, the same quarries from where the materials for the original structure were sourced in the 18th century.

Returning to its original site in the city centre, Primark Bank Buildings has now merged with the existing Castle Street store to create a new flagship store, which is 76 per cent bigger in size compared to the original site. The store features 88,200 sq. ft. of fantastic retail space, including a brand-new immersive Disney experience, the first of its kind in a Primark store setting, where customers will find a Primark Café with Disney, Disney photo moments, and a dedicated Disney department for adults, kids and homeware, all located on the second floor of the store.

The store will also feature a new nail and beauty studio for customers, operated by Nails™, and a new fifth floor space which is home to a brand-new Home department offering Primark’s full homeware range of accessories, bedding and small furniture to customers in Belfast for the first time.

Customers can also shop the full range of autumn winter trends, partywear, Christmas gifting ideas and its great value essentials across women’s, men’s, kids’ and homeware, beauty, and accessories.

Committed to investing further in Northern Ireland, Primark also recently confirmed details of the opening of its brand-new store in Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon, which will open its doors on Friday, December 16 to customers and will be the retailer’s ninth store in Northern Ireland.