Primark is expanding its U.S. footprint with two new stores set to open in July.
The Irish “fast fashion” brand is set to open a new location at Willowbrook Mall in the Houston area on July 16, followed by its first-ever store in Indiana at Castleton Square Mall in Indianapolis on July 23, Retail Dive reports.
Both stores will be about 30,000 square feet and follow Primark’s standard in-mall format, offering clothing, accessories, beauty, and home goods at budget-friendly prices. Its pricing is similar to retailers such as Old Navy, while brands such as H&M, Forever 21, and even Target can be similarly priced, depending on the item.
In Houston, the new store adds to Primark’s growing Texas footprint, where the company already operates multiple locations. The Willowbrook Mall opening also comes amid a broader retail reshaping of former department store spaces, as malls repurpose large vacant anchors for new tenants.
The Indianapolis debut represents a major milestone for Primark, which has been steadily entering new U.S. states as part of a long-term growth plan. The Castleton Square Mall location positions the brand in one of the Midwest’s busiest shopping centers, giving it access to a large regional customer base.
The openings would bring Primark’s U.S. store count to 44 locations amid its steady expansion across the Midwest and Southern U.S.
In May, Primark opened a flagship store in New York City, its 11th in the state, with a flashy, celebrity-filled launch. The event drew amusement online, especially in the U.K., where the brand has a much more low-key, tongue-in-cheek reputation, The Independent’s Ellie Muir, a Brit living in NYC, said.
The event featured Sarah Jessica Parker, Andy Cohen, Emily Ratajkowski and Winnie Harlow, along with a Hollywood-style carpet and Empire State Building lighting in a level of spectacle that surprised some, given Primark’s identity as a budget-focused retailer known for ultra-low prices and everyday essentials.
In Britain, the chain is often jokingly called “Primarni”—a mashup of Primark and Giorgio Armani—reflecting its bargain image and cultural status, along with ongoing criticism of fast fashion and its often crowded, chaotic shopping experience, Muir said.
Before the NYC launch, Primark had already expanded into other U.S. markets, including Illinois, Florida and Tennessee.
The expansion is part of Primark’s strategy of prioritizing brick-and-mortar stores over e-commerce, relying on high foot traffic and low prices to drive sales in established shopping centers.
The first U.S. Primark debuted in Boston in 2015.
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