The high street fashion giant have recently opened new stores in both Lancaster and Carlisle and are keen to open one up in Barrow too. Representatives from the chain have expressed an interest in moving to the town, but have yet to find a suitable site.
To be honest, it’s hard to see how Primark could fail to do well if a store is opened here. If you ask people on the street which brands they’d most like to see come to the area – Primark is pretty much top of everyone’s list.
High street fashion, at a price that’s affordable, is a great combination and is sure to succeed, and whilst it’s important to have a mix of big high street chains and small businesses, Primark could be a huge boost to the town. Providing the store is located in the town centre rather than on the outskirts it would help provide much needed footfall to Barrow Town centre – something that would benefit the whole town and the businesses within it. In turn, this would also attract other businesses to the town too.
Businessman Phil Collier, who also chair’s the steering group for the BID says “Over the past two or three years we’ve been involved with town centre businesses, people have often asked ‘why can’t we have a Primark in Barrow?’
“It really would be a positive step in the right direction. What we need is a mix of good national stores to attract footfall and we need to open up the empty shops for young entrepreneurs.”
“We need a balance, but there’s no question it would certainly be a good driver for local business.”
What are your thoughts? Do you think this is a good move for the town or not? One thing’s for sure, this is a story we’ll all be keeping a close eye on.
