The first standalone Primark Home store has officially opened in Belfast today. The new retail concept represents a £2m investment in the city centre and the creation of over 40 new retail jobs, bringing Primark’s total headcount to over 400 in Belfast and over 1300 members of staff across Northern Ireland.
Representatives from Belfast City Council, Belfast One and Belfast Chamber of Commerce joined Primark Home store staff for the opening, with Lord Mayor of Belfast Cllr Micky Murray taking part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the store to the public.
The retailer says its home collection continues to thrive, offering everything from essentials to soft furnishings, decorative pieces and small items of furniture. Primark says it has seen growing demand from its Northern Ireland customers for its home range, with cotton bedding collections and unique kitchen ceramics proving particularly popular: "Tablescaping remains a dominant trend, extending beyond Christmas to Easter, as more customers embrace seasonal home decor, with Easter wreaths and large-scale decorations becoming customer favourites."
Fintan Costello, head of Primark Ireland and Northern Ireland, says: “This is a big step forward for the Primark brand as we continue to evolve our offering in line with the needs and wants of our loyal customers. We’ve seen a real surge in interest for our homeware ranges which is why we’re thrilled to launch the world’s first-ever Primark Home store in Belfast today.
"Ever since the reopening of our Bank Buildings store, the shoppers of Belfast have really embraced Primark and we’re incredibly proud to bring further investment to the city in return. The opening of this standalone store has also given us the opportunity to enhance Bank Buildings, where we can now offer bigger and better kids’ and menswear departments.”
Located in Fountain House, Primark Home Donegall Place's opening comes as the retailer launches its first homeware collection inspired by Pinterest trends this week. Teaming up with the discovery platform, the range features everything from spring floral crockery and soft pink frill bedding to neutral ceramics and tableware.
To style the new collection before they buy it, shoppers can head to Pinterest and use Collages, an interactive tool, to pull together their vision, using cut-outs of products from the Primark range. Homeware fans can also head to Primark Home Donegall Place for a free Pinterest Collage masterclass on 15th and 16th March.
Belfast customers will also enjoy exclusive access to a new home range four weeks before its release in other Primark stores. The Primark Home Edit is a new, "superior-quality" collection, which features 500-thread count bedding, plush towels and lightweight ceramic tableware.
