Primark opens new distribution center in Jacksonville & new stores as part of US expansion

Value fashion retailer Primark has opened a new distribution center in Jacksonville, Florida, as part of its broader US expansion plan. The new center, which spans more than 550,000 square feet in North Jacksonville, will serve several Primark locations in Southern states, including Florida, Texas, and more.

In addition to the opening of Primark's new distribution center today, the retailer also announced that it has signed several leases to open new retail locations in Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas. The announcement comes as Primark aims to expand its US retail footprint to 60 stores across the nation by 2026.

These new stores, which total over 128,000 square feet of retail selling space, are located in key shopping centers, such as Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, Virginia, The Mall at Prince George's, in Hyattsville, Maryland, CoolSprings Galleria in Franklin, Tennessee and Katy Mills in Katy, Texas.

Part of Primark's US retail growth strategy, the announcement sees the value retailer opening its first store in the state of Tennessee. All of the new stores will be serviced by the newly opened Jacksonville distribution center and the distribution center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

"We've seen growing demand for Primark stores across the US, particularly in our southern locations where we've even expanded our store footprint in our Sawgrass Mills store to meet customer demand," said Kevin Tulip, President of Primark US, in a statement. "The opening of this distribution center in Jacksonville comes at the perfect time for the brand and our customers as we set our sights on continued growth across the US, including in Florida and Texas, as well as our first store in Tennessee. We're thrilled to continue to bring 'Primania' to new customers with our expansion."

Florida's growing population continues to boost its retail market, making it an attractive location for Primark to grow. With a Jacksonville distribution center aiding the value retailer's expansion, Primark is set to open new stores in Orlando and beyond in the Sunshine State. The retailer aims to use the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT), a key international trade port within a day's truck drive of nearly 100 million US consumers, for cargo imports.

"We welcome Primark to Jacksonville and are thrilled to be a part of the global retailer's expansion in the United States," said Eric Green, CEO of the Jacksonville Port Authority, in a statement. "As new European ocean carrier services call our port, it further strengthens our connections to businesses throughout Europe, which is a target growth market for us, and supports jobs and economic impact for our city and state."

Since 2013, Primark has doubled its global warehouse space. The value retailer now operates its two distribution centers in the US, serving 24 stores across nine states.