Primark has had plenty of news to share recently and its latest sees it launching a new youth-focused line and expanding its Middle East presence.
First that new line. Designed “for teens and young people that feel under-served by kids and adult fashion”, it’s called The Primark Scene and gets dedicated in-store spaces “to offer a better and more social shopping experience”.
It’s just launched in selected stores across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, and the Netherlands with prices starting from £3.50.
Birth rates may have been falling in developed markets across the world for several decades yet in a twist, the youth fashion market is growing fast.
The retailer said its new offer features “trend-led affordable styles that allow young people to express their individuality through clothes that feel authentic and help them to feel seen”.
Developed over the last 18 months, it’s “informed by young people who shared what influences their fashion identity, how they curate their wardrobes and how they style and personalise their looks”.
The resulting collection spans outerwear, knitwear, skirts and dresses, denim, tops and shirts, featuring low-rise jeans, puddle-leg silhouettes, cropped styles and oversized slouch fits with distinctive colours and graphics, “all at unbeatable prices”.
The company’s research “also highlighted that shopping with friends and being able to see, touch and try on pieces is important to young people”. Hence the dedicated spaces in stores, “marked by the label’s new branding, to make it easier for customers to find the range and shop together”.
Within the fairly broad “youth” umbrella, the company said the range targets “style setters who want to reflect their individuality with the latest trends at great value prices; casual customers who love a mix of comfort, style and quality; [and] festival-goers looking to create standout looks for festivals, gigs and social moments”.
Kelly-Ann Carroll, Head of Buying at Primark said: “We’ve spent time listening to young people to understand their world, their lifestyle and what influences their style choices. The Primark Scene is about giving them the styles that they’re seeing and saving across their social feeds while staying true to what matters to them most: fit, comfort and the best price points.”
Middle East expansion
Meanwhile, the retailer has also announced plans for stores in three further markets in the Middle East with its franchise partner Alshaya Group following the successful opening of the retailer’s first-ever store in Kuwait last October.
Five stores are confirmed for 2026 in UAE. Three stores will open in Dubai in March, April and May, followed by stores in Bahrain and Qatar by the end of the year.
The first of the new stores will open in Dubai Mall on 26 March and after all five openings the retailer will be in 21 countries by end of 2026.
Primark said it and Alshaya Group “will continue to work together on plans for further expansion across the region in the coming years”.
The Anglo-Irish retail giant currently operates around 475 stores in 18 countries across the UK/Ireland, mainland Europe, the Middle East and the US and is also preparing to expand in its existing markets, including opening its first flagship store in Manhattan, New York, this spring after recently marking its 10-year anniversary in the US.
