Primark is not closing down. Over 190 UK stores remain open. One store has closed – Dartford on 3 January 2026, the first UK closure in more than a decade.
Key facts:
- One UK store closed (Dartford, 3 January 2026)
- First closure in over 10 years
- 190+ UK stores continue operating
- 60 US locations planned by end 2026
- No further UK closures announced
Shoppers asking whether Primark is closing down can relax. Dartford shut because of building problems at that specific location, not wider company troubles.
Table of Contents
Why Dartford Shut
The Orchards Shopping Centre store needed expensive building repairs. Two larger stores already operate nearby at Bluewater and Bexleyheath. Primark decided against the investment.
Philippa Nibbs, director of sales for UK South and South East, said: “This difficult decision was informed by the extensive repair work required to the building, which given the close proximity to two other Primark stores, is just not viable.”
Fifty-three staff worked there. More than half transferred to nearby branches. Others left with support packages.
A staff member posted on Dartford Community Facebook: “This next week will be a very upsetting time for all the staff, a lot of us are being made redundant, so please be mindful when you’re moaning about nothing left in the store.”
“What? Even Primark is leaving Dartford. The town is finished,” wrote one resident. Another said: “Unless something serious happens to boost it, it will soon be goodbye Dartford town centre.”
A new Tunbridge Wells store opened in December 2025, weeks before Dartford closed. Epsom gets a new store in spring 2026, and Wimbledon will open its first Primark in late 2026 or early 2027.
Profit Warning Five Days Later
Revenue hit £9.4 billion in 2024, up 6%. Operating profit jumped 51% to £1.1 billion.
Five days after the Dartford closure, parent company Associated British Foods issued a profit warning on 8 January 2026. Sales at existing stores fell 2.7% over the 16 weeks to 3 January, with Continental Europe hit hardest at 5.7%. Heavy discounting to clear stock damaged margins.
George Weston, chief executive of Associated British Foods, said: “Primark has had a challenging start to the financial year, with a mixed performance.”
Full-year profits will come in below last year as fewer customers visited existing stores.
UK stores did better, with sales rising 3% and existing stores up 1.7%. Womenswear performed well and market share grew from 6.7% to 6.8%. Christmas trading proved difficult for clothing retailers.
Louise Deglise-Favre, lead apparel analyst at GlobalData, identified the problem: “Overall sales growth was driven by continued international store expansion. While international expansion remains an important growth lever, reliance on new space rather than like-for-like momentum highlights the need for improved underlying consumer demand.”
New stores delivered the growth while existing locations struggled with footfall.
Despite the UK challenges, Primark is pushing ahead with international growth.
US and Middle East Expansion
Primark is betting on America, where around 30 stores already operate. The target is 60 by end 2026. A second distribution centre opened in Jacksonville, Florida last year – 550,000 square feet. Manhattan gets its first store soon at Herald Square, opposite Penn Station.
Kevin Tulip, President of Primark US, confirmed: “We’re still very firm on our store opening plan of 60 stores by 2026.”
American sales grew 12% in constant currency. New stores drove that growth, not better performance at existing locations. Associated British Foods called the US retail environment “volatile, which impacted consumer sentiment and footfall.”
Kuwait got the first Middle East store in October 2025 via a franchise with Alshaya Group. Three Dubai stores follow in early 2026 – Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif. Franchises are new for Primark, which usually controls operations directly.
Belfast and Manchester now have standalone homeware stores (March and August 2025). Belfast cost £2 million and created 40 jobs.
Eoin Tonge became interim CEO in March 2025 after Paul Marchant resigned. Value pricing is his focus. “We have continued to reduce our prices whenever we have seen that our competitors’ prices were lower,” Tonge told analysts. “We must continue to remind customers of this incredible value.”
Campaigns like Never Basic and Major Find emphasise low prices.
Digital Tools Launch
A mobile app launched in Ireland and Italy last August. UK rollout is expected by early 2027. Customers can check stock in real time, browse products, plan visits. Click and collect reached all UK stores in 2025.
Matt Houston, Chief Customer and Digital Officer, explained: “We know our customers increasingly start their shopping journey online, whether that’s checking what’s new or planning a visit, and the app gives them the tools to do that.”
Primark avoided e-commerce for years. Shipping and returns hurt margins on £4 t-shirts. Apps and click and collect provide digital access without full e-commerce.
Other Retailers Closing Hundreds of Stores
UK retail struggled badly in 2025. Fifty-four retailers entered administration, resulting in 3,080 stores closed and 30,153 jobs lost, according to the Centre for Retail Research.
River Island shuts 33 stores by end of January after a £33.2 million loss. Chief executive Ben Lewis said: “The well documented migration of shoppers from the high street to online has left the business with a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers’ needs.”
Poundland closes over 100 stores after selling for £1 to Gordon Brothers. Twelve shut in January. Lloyds Banking Group closed 34 branches this month. Cancer Research plans up to 100 charity shop closures by April 2027.
Government changes to National Insurance, minimum wage and business rates will cost retail £2.3 billion from April 2026, the British Retail Consortium estimates.
One Primark closure stands against hundreds at other retailers.
Where to Find Open Primark Stores
Dartford customers can use Bluewater Shopping Centre in Greenhithe or The Broadway in Bexleyheath. Both are larger, and the Primark store locator shows hours and stock at every branch.
All other UK stores – 190+ of them – remain open. No additional closures announced. The company plans 530 stores globally by 2026, up from 476 now. The mobile app coming to UK stores by early 2027 will simplify stock checks. The website stock checker already shows item availability at your nearest store.
The profit warning shows pressure from weak European sales and heavy discounting. Primark started stronger than most chains. One closure in ten years, while opening dozens internationally, doesn’t signal collapse.
No further closures announced. Dartford closed because of that specific building. Primark keeps opening more stores than it closes.
Sources: Associated British Foods trading updates, GlobalData retail analysis, The Sun, Evening Standard, Retail Gazette, Marketing Week
