Primark has outlined its ambitious growth plans for the Italian market – including an investment of €50 million in the territory and the aim of growing its store footprint to 20.
The retailer opened its first store in Arese in 2016 and it currently has 15 outlets across Italy, growing the team to 4,500 Primark Italy colleagues.
Over the next few years, the retailer will open a further five stores. Four of those will be in new cities for Primark: Porta a Mare shopping centre (Livorno); Metropolis shopping centre, Rende (Cosenza); Maximall shopping centre, Pontecagnano Faiano (Salerno), as well as a new city centre store in Genoa.
Last year saw it open a store in Turin’s Le Gru shopping centre, and there are also plans to open a second store in Turin in the To Dream shopping centre.
Luca Ciuffreda, director of sales in Italy (pictured above), joined Primark in 2016, witnessing numerous changes across the business and the wider sector during that time.
“One thing that has remained consistent is Primark’s commitment to offering more sustainable fashion at affordable prices,” commented Luca. “Italy is a country that is synonymous with fashion. Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Italian fashion admired all over the world. Tourists visiting Italy every year to shop on one of our many fashion high streets.
“I am often asked why Primark is so popular in Italy. I think the answer is very simple: Italian shoppers love Primark’s offering of the latest trends and everyday essentials at affordable prices. Our affordability means that everyone can take part in the fun of fashion.”
Luca says that Primark works hard to ensure that its stores are “places that everyone feels welcome”.
He commented: “They are places where our customers can walk through the doors and have fun, enjoying our latest fashion offerings. People can come to our stores and shop with their friends and family and have a great day out. They can be inspired by our trend rooms and enjoy some of our fun and innovative products, like our licensed collections and our Snuddie.
“We will continue to create inclusive environments where our customers enjoy the experience of our stores and our colleagues enjoy coming to work. Our new stores will take inspiration from the latest retail innovations and Italian style and architecture. They will have LED lighting, and will also be the first stores in Italy to feature self-service checkouts, meaning that customers can look forward to enjoying additional speed and convenience during their store visits.”
Luca also confirmed that Primark will be creating some 600 new jobs across Italy with its expansion plan.
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