Primark opens its first flagship store in the Netherlands

“Primark’s success has shown everyone that an Irish company can compete with the best brands in the world,” said John Neary, ambassador for Ireland for the Netherlands during the opening of its first flagship store in the Netherlands on Thursday morning.

Located at Spui 50, in the Hague, the new 5,296 square meter flagship store encompasses of all Primark’s latest store concepts, as well as its full product assortment, ranging from its core basics to catwalk based trends and fluffy onesies. Spanning three floors, the flagship store is the twelfth Primark location to open in the Netherlands, but the first flagship store established in the country.

“Our new store in the Hague is the most beautiful store to date,” stated Breege o’Donoghue, Group Director, business development and new markets at Primark during her opening speech. The flagship store is the first in the country to feature the retailer’s new lingerie and beauty concepts, as well as improved focus on Primark’s expanding men’s wear and footwear collections.

Primark continues to enjoy much fanfare at new store openings in Europe

“There is no other store in the world like Primark where you can buy a complete new outfit or a necklace like my crown jewels here for under fifty euros,” she added, whilst gesturing to her glittery, statement necklace.

Primark’s mottos which reflect their brand DNA, such as ‘there’s nothing like us on the high streets’ and ‘look good, pay less,’ have helped set the Irish value retailer apart from other fast-fashion retailers like Forever 21 and H&M over the years and gained consumers attention throughout Europe.

With over 164 stores throughout the UK, a new Primark store opening may not blow British shoppers away, but overseas in continental Europe the retailer is sailing on a upward wave of demand, with shoppers clamoring to get their hands on their latest wears. In the past new store openings have attracted massive crowds and the flagship store opening in the Hague was no different from the rest.

During the opening in the Hague, visitors of all ages lined up outside in the rain and faced heavy winds to be among the first shoppers to ever enter the new store. Inside the store’s updated interior, complete with flat screen monitors playing Primark’s newest Christmas adverts, sales staff were given a quick pep talk before the doors opened to the eagerly awaiting crowds at 11 am sharp.

To ensure things run smoothly at the debut flagship store, a whopping 433 new full-time and part-time employees were hired, which brings Primark’s staff count in the Netherlands to 3,600 and its total personnel number to over 60,000. Of the new staff hired for the new flagship store, 170 employees were on hand for the first opening day, greeting customers by the front doors with Primark’s traditional blue balloons.

“After all the successful openings in the Netherlands, this year was definitely one of the best. The store looks amazing and we are very happy with this special location at Spui. We invited everyone to come in and have a look at our winter and Christmas collections” said o’Donoghue, before the blue ribbon was cut and Primark store number 287 was officially opened.

Photos: Simon Trel Simon Trel