Primark's first-ever UK store celebrates 50 years since opening in Derby

The Derby Primark team was celebrating fifty years of being on Britain's high-streets
-Credit: (Image: DANIELGRAVESPHOTOGRAPHY .COM)


Primark celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of opening its first UK store in 1974 on Babington Lane, in Derby, today (Thursday, September 26). The celebration was held at the Cornmarket store, where the Irish-based fashion retailer later moved to.

The celebrations were started with a DJ set as the first 50 customers who arrived at the store's door this morning were greeted with goodie bags and balloons to mark the occasion. The staff had said that there were around fifty eagerly waiting in front of the shop.

The store was founded in 1969 as Pennyes in Ireland, a brand name which it still retains today. However, the first store to open in Great Britain was the Babington Lane shop, with Ben Mansfield being sent over to be England's first-ever Primark store manager.

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Mr Mansfield was sent from Dublin to set up the first store and to facilitate its further expansion into the nation, as he opened their second store in Bristol just six months after opening the Derby branch.

This led him to rise through the discount fashion store's ranks and become one of the board members after he was taught everything he knew from the founder himself. Ben retired from his board role of group sales director in 2017 following over fifty years in the company.

Since the 1970s Primark has changed considerably going from a bare essentials store to now a thriving competitor in the fast fashion industry - it has risen from it’s humble beginnings in Ireland, as Mr Mansfield tells Derbyshire Live. He said: “Derby was a growing urban city, and it was a time of austerity and we picked out Derby to be the first in the UK as people needed value for money here.

"The site on Babington Lane was a brilliant first site. Derby needed to work, and from the off the people of Derby were fantastic, they loved Primark and everything we had to offer.”

Ben Mansfield in front of the Derby Primark celebrating fifty years of being on Great Britain's high-streets.
Ben Mansfield in front of the Derby Primark celebrating fifty years of being on Great Britain's high-streets. -Credit:Derbyshire Live

Gail Lester, from Mackworth, said: “We’ve been coming here more or less every week, it's cheap and it’s good, I didn’t know it started here. I come here every Saturday when I come into the centre, and so does my daughter. I was quite surprised when I saw the DJ and balloons when I walked in today.”

Gail’s mother said: “I remember going to the Babington Lane store when it first opened back in the 70s and taking Gail with me. Now we are here with my granddaughter and she’s shopping for her family now. It’s a great store, they always change their stuff and keep up with the times, plus it’s cheap.”

Mr Mansfield explained that when they first opened their stores in the UK they targeted areas outside of London, such as Bristol, Wales, the North East, and Scotland before finally opening a store in the capital.

Mr Mansfield said: “It’s very emotional coming back here where it all started. I am very proud of what we have managed to achieve. We never imagined that it would be like this. It doesn’t feel like fifty years, it honestly feels like yesterday that I was here myself as a 20-year-old young man.

"I was mentored closely by the founder Arthur Ryan and we came from humble beginnings. While Primark has changed a lot, the ethos of the company hasn’t, and that is that you can work your way up. We want to make sure everyone knows that they have the opportunity to progress like we did.”

Another loyal Primark customer visiting the store on its anniversary, Margaret Kennington, 80, said: “I’ve been coming here since 1974 and gosh it's changed. It gave me a fright when I walked in today with all that music. I love Primark though, you have to stay loyal to what’s good for you, and Primark has always done me well, with the low prices and all. I’ll keep coming here until I can’t anymore and I’ve been taking my kids here and my grandkids since they can remember, so Primark will always have a special place in my heart.”

The Derby store manager, Nassr Saad, said: “It’s been an incredible journey for the entire team to work in such a historic store for Primark and in Derby – which I consider to be a historic city with so much to offer. I’m looking forward to seeing Derby transform, as it’s not just us that’s growing and evolving!”

Since the first store’s opening Primark has opened 184 more stores across the country, employing over 30,000 people and serving millions of customers every week with it’s international footprint growing significantly as well, with over 450 stores across 17 different countries.