Retail Assistant

The first Primark in Spain did not open on Gran Vía: 20 years ago, it chose this Madrid shopping center for its debut. The Irish fast-fashion brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Spain. Its first store was located in a shopping center far from the heart of Madrid. October 20, 2026 Although its massive store on Gran Vía has become one of the chain's most recognizable locations, Primark's entry into the Spanish market actually took place nine years earlier at Plenilunio. The company itself commemorated that debut on the occasion of its 20th anniversary in the country, celebrated in 2026. When Primark arrived in Spain, the company already had an international track record. Its origins date back to 1969, when it opened its first store in Ireland under the name Penneys. It later adopted the name Primark for its expansion beyond that market, eventually adding Spain to its network in the early 2000s. A springboard for the rest of the region. Madrid was, therefore, the starting point for an expansion that later spread throughout the country. In the report released to mark its 20th anniversary, the company reported 67 stores in Spain. The journey over these two decades also reflects the coexistence of different retail formats. The first Spanish store opened inside a shopping mall; years later, the brand strengthened its presence in high-traffic urban locations. Its network combines both models, without the visibility of downtown stores overshadowing the role of those located in shopping centers. Twenty years later, the chain is preparing new investments. The anniversary is accompanied by a new investment program. In May 2026, Primark announced that it would allocate 40 million euros to remodel eleven stores in Spain and to open a new one. The initiative thus combines growth with the modernization of existing stores - two distinct actions that should be kept separate when interpreting its plans. Thus, while the Gran Vía store represents its most visible presence in downtown Madrid, Plenilunio retains a milestone of its own: having hosted Primark's first opening in Spain. Twenty years later, the origin of its Spanish journey still lies in that shopping center where it opened its doors in May 2006.

Exclusive: Primark's benefits package helps to uphold corporate values and culture. Employee Benefits Live 2026: Primark uses its benefits package to reinforce its corporate values and culture. In the closing keynote on day two of Employee Benefits Live, Lisa Buckley, head of global benefits at Primark, addressed delegates in a session titled 'Benefits don't create culture - but they shape it'. Buckley explained that while Primark's employees help to carry the culture in workplaces, the benefits package helps to shape it. The retailer's mantra is Every Person Impacts Culture (EPIC), which is repeated and displayed in every store and office. The organisation ensures benefits link back to its corporate values. For example, one of Primark's key values is caring, so the organisation promotes benefits such as its employee assistance programme (EAP) to support this. Primark aims to keep benefits simple, scalable and local. It launched a new benefits site and communications campaign to ensure all employees are aware of what is on offer. Feedback found that while they valued discounts and flexible-working patterns, they were not aware of the whole benefits package. Buckley explained that the campaign focused around putting information about all benefits in one place so employees can look through when they need to. It used imagery relating to the retailer's brown shopping bag to grab the attention of staff and demonstrate how benefits can be relevant to their own needs and life stages. Primark groups its benefits into six pillars of pay, future, health, travel, time and perks, but also into life moments, such as retirement, saving, growing a family and caring for someone. The campaign was shared through internal social networks and displays in all workplaces. Around 40% of employees have used the site since it was launched a few weeks ago. Buckley said: "It"s been really valuable, and we can even see take up in benefits that we've had for years, but that nobody's really focused on." In Ireland, Primark has been working on a communications campaign to inform staff about pensions auto-enrolment that came into effect in January 2026. This is mandatory for eligible employees and they have a choice of scheme between the Primark Pension Plan and the government's MyFutureFund, but the employer needed to make staff aware of their options. Buckley explained that in order to reach employees about the changes, it had to create a impactful communications. It created the colourful character of Nana who appeared on posters, information booklets and cards to grab the attention of staff and inform them about their pension choices. "We're very happy with that campaign, but it is all about trying to grab attention. It's a busy world out there, and people aren't sitting at desks. It's what we can do," said Buckley.