Primark has opened a new store in Belfast just over three months since its flagship premises in the city was gutted by fire.
The 26,700 sq ft, four-floor store in Castle Street, beside the cordoned off Bank Buildings store which was devastated by fire at the end of August, welcomed its first customers on Saturday morning.
The first bargain hunters in the queue, who were on their annual “pilgrimage” from Craigavon to Belfast for their “big Christmas shop”, arrived at 7am ahead of the store opening at 9am.
Jeannette Robb said: “I missed Primark. It’s good value and a nice store.”
Her friend Danielle Wright said: “This is a Christmas shopping day for me.”
Primark hand warmers, given out to customers as they waited in the cold, were put away at 9am and people, including those on mobility scooters, in wheelchairs and with prams, streamed into the shiny new store.
The Irish Times got a preview ahead of the store opening and saw shelves filled with on-trend animal print clothing, nightwear, lingerie, Christmas themed hats and accessories, plus beauty products including fake tan, eye masks and cosmetics.
‘Picks up’
Deborah Whiteside from north Belfast said she had missed Primark since it last traded in August.
“Town hasn’t been the same,” she said.
“It has been dead but hopefully it picks up now.”
Victoria Armstrong (23) from Belfast was in to buy “jammies, a housecoat and slippers”.
“I thought people would be camping out so we got down early,” she said.
Primark director Ben Mansfield said the company is “committed to a long-term future in Belfast”.
“Today marks a significant milestone for our people, our neighbours and the wider community, as we take the first step to get back to business following the fire at Bank Buildings,” he said.
“We are confident that our store and the newly built walkway will help restore footfall in the Castle Street and surrounding area at this critical time, just before Christmas.”
Bank Buildings
The cordon around the shell of the Bank Buildings has meant the heart of the shopping district had been cut off in four areas but a new walkway built from shipping containers has at least helped let people flow between two of the areas, while the council and other business organisations have been reimaging the affected streets to try to generate footfall.
Belfast Lord Mayor Deirdre Hargey said it was a boost to the city centre to get the new Primark store opened before Christmas.
“We are delighted to see this day not just for the company, but for the city, the local businesses in Castle Street and the staff who are back into work after the fire,” she said. “It’s great.”
Belfast Chamber of Commerce president Rajesh Rana said the fire has had a huge impact on business in the city centre, and that the opening of the new store would make a big difference to Castle Street in particular, which is closed off at one end because of the safety cordon.
“We are speaking to City Council about the plan for the new year because we need to keep the city centre busy in January,” he said.
“£2 million from the treasury [in London] still has to be allocated, we are talking about marketing through the new year and speaking to Translink about possibly extending their reduced fares offer to literally bus people into the city.
“I believe a stakeholder group is being set up so we will be part of that.”
Elsewhere in the city centre, the first Guineys store in Belfast opened at the site of the former British Home Stores building off Cornmarket.