Irish fashion retail giant Primark held a grand opening celebration for its second location in the borough at the Queens Center mall in Elmhurst Thursday morning.
Primark has opened a 37,000-square-foot, two-story space in the mall, located at 90-15 Queens Blvd., and has now opened 10 stores in New York State and five in New York City, including two stores in Brooklyn, one in Jamaica, and one on Staten Island.
More than 800 people waited in line in Queens Center for Thursday’s grand opening, which featured a DJ, free Primark tote bags, free cookies from Vin’s Bakery and a spin the wheel game featuring prizes such as gift cards, beanies and sunglasses.
The fashion retailer operates more than 450 stores in 17 different countries across the globe, including 28 US stores in 11 different states, and is renowned for its affordable prices and diverse options, ranging from everyday essentials to stand-out styles and beauty, homeware and accessories. In recent years, Primark has also earned renown for its brand collaborations, teaming up with the likes of Disney, Hello Kitty, the NBA, the NFL and several big-name bands for Primark-exclusive clothing and merchandise options available at affordable prices.
Founded in Ireland in 1969 under the Penneys brand, Primark opened its first US location in Boston in 2016 and entered the New York market the following year with locations in Brooklyn’s King’s Plaza Mall and the Staten Island Mall. The fashion chain opened its first Queens location on Jamaica Avenue in late 2022.
Kevin Tulip, president of Primark US, said at Thursday’s grand opening that the retailer has long targeted a location in Queens Center. Primark, which only offers in-store shopping and does not offer any form of e-commerce, relies on finding locations with pre-existing foot traffic and popular neighboring stores, Tulip added.
“It’s about making sure that we’ve got the right location in the right space and that we’ve got the right set of other retailers around us. We are all about physical retail bricks and mortar, so we need to make sure that we’ve got pre existing for traffic, that we’ve got great neighbors next to us,” Tulip said. “Just with the other retailers that we’ve got (around us), there’s so much here to bring customers into this mall, and we’re excited.”
Tulip said Primark attempts to tailor each individual location to the needs and wants of the local community as well as products found in Primark stores around the world, stating that the Elmhurst location will feature items that are popular at Primark’s existing Queens location in Jamaica.
He said customers in Jamaica “love” Primark’s leisure range and branded collaboration, especially the retailer’s collaborations with bands such as Nirvana and Blondie. As a result, Primark has given priority to leisure and brand collaborations in its new store.
Tulip pointed to the huge crowd that gathered for Primark’s grand opening on Thursday, noting that previous grand openings in New York drew crowds of around 400 or 500 people.
“Look, we’re still fairly new (in the US), but you can see that the brand recognition is building,” Tulip said. “We’re really starting to see that build in the US – what we call ‘Primania’, that kind of effect of getting in and finding something you love and actually seeing that the price is really affordable. I think the fashion, the quality and the affordability is really what makes us unique.”
Primark offers a wide range of affordable clothing options, with t-shirts starting from $4 and Primark’s denim range starting from $10. All clothes sold in Primark are manufactured by Primark, including the clothing items produced in collaboration with other brands.
Ahead of Thursday’s grand opening, Primark partnered with Queens Community House (QCH), a non-profit organization supporting local teens with career readiness, academic support, real world work experiences and leadership development. The retailer invited 100 teens from QCH’s young adult programs for an exclusive shopping spree on Wednesday. Teens were given Primark gift cards and got first dibs on their newest store’s wide selection of clothing.
Primark’s grand opening celebrations will continue over the weekend with free popcorn from Hal’s New York on Friday available on a first come, first served basis, and a meet-and-greet with Paw Patrol’s Chase and Skye on Saturday in honor of Primark’s exclusive Paw Patrol collection. Customers will also have access to the exclusive Primark x Paw Patrol collection on Saturday.
Customers at Thursday’s grand opening warmly welcomed the arrival of Primark to the Elmhurst neighborhood, with customers lining up well before the official ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m.
Mary Young, a Middle Village resident who visited Primark on Thursday, said she had previously shopped in a Primark store on Long Island and was excited to see a new location opening in Queens.
“I was so pleased (to see Primark opening). You don’t really see those types of stores here in Queens,” Young said. “I like their apparel range and the price point that they are, and that you can usually find like your size.”
Nancy, a local resident who asked for her last name to be omitted, said Primark’s arrival in Elmhurst will make it much easier to buy clothes and toys for her children.
“I needed a Primark over here near my house,” Nancy said. “(I use it) mostly for my kids. They’re going to make me spend a lot of money,” she joked.
Tulip said Primark will continue to expand throughout New York, noting that the retailer has recently signed a lease for a space in Herald Square, marking its first Manhattan location. He said the new store, which will be a flagship for the multinational retailer, is set to open in early 2026.
“It’s our first time stepping in to do trade in Manhattan, but everything that we’ve seen in the boroughs over the last number of years is just telling us that New York absolutely loves Primark, and Primark loves New York,” Tulip said.
Primark’s new Elmhurst location is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Fridays and Saturdays. The store is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sundays.
