Primark is expanding its presence in Italy with a €40 million investment that will see five new stores opening across the country. The new sites, located in Rome, Biella, Perugia and two in Naples, will increase the retailer’s Italian portfolio to 26 stores and generate 700 new jobs.
Primark first entered the Italian market in 2016, opening at the Il Centro shopping centre in Arese, Milan. Since then, the retailer has grown its footprint to 18 locations nationwide, including a flagship store and regional office in Milan, regarded as the fashion capital of Italy.
The new stores will introduce Primark to three cities for the first time: Biella, where it will open in the Gli Orsi shopping centre; Perugia, with a site in the Collestrada shopping centre; and Naples, which will gain two outlets at the Grande Sud Retail Park and La Cartiera shopping centre. In Rome, a third store will follow the earlier openings of Roma Maximo and Roma Est in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Each store will be designed to enhance the in-store experience, with a broad range of fashion, beauty, and homeware products at affordable prices. They will also include self-service checkouts in addition to traditional tills, aiming to offer more flexibility to customers.
This latest announcement builds on Primark’s previous expansion in Italy, which included a €50 million investment in November 2023. That phase saw the opening of five new stores in Turin, Livorno, Salerno, Cosenza and Genoa, with another site later announced in Parma.
Luca Ciuffreda, Director of Primark, said: “I’m so proud of our growth journey in Italy: in just nine years, we’ve expanded to 18 stores across 10 provinces and there’s so much more potential. We’re thrilled to unveil a further €40 million investment to continue our expansion, create new jobs and support local communities. We know our Italian customers love our kidswear, as well as brilliant basics including pyjamas and underwear, and our incredible team work hard every day to bring our unbeatable value in fashion, beauty, and homeware to customers across Italy. And we’re not stopping here, stay tuned, because there’s even more to come!”
The opening of these five new stores will add 700 retail roles to Primark’s workforce in Italy, which already exceeds 5,000 employees. The company promotes internal development through its ‘Grow with Us’ training programme. According to the company, 80% of its management team have been promoted internally. The scheme also facilitates staff relocation across cities, supporting career progression. For example, when the Salerno branch launched, its entire managerial team had advanced through the internal development programme.
Laura Finocchiaro, Head of People & Culture, Italy, commented: “Working at Primark is an opportunity to build a lifelong career in retail, with extensive in-house training programmes such as ‘Grow with Us’, as well as learning and development opportunities across all levels. We will have a mix of full and part-time roles for retail assistants and managers available and interested candidates can apply for a position through the Primark careers website in the coming months.”
Primark’s continued investment in Italy forms part of a broader strategy to grow in both new and existing markets. The retailer currently operates 462 stores across 17 countries and has further plans for international expansion.
