A little more than a month after Primark opened its first U.S. store in Boston, the budget-friendly fashion chain has unveiled its second-largest location in the world in Spain.
The 133,000-square-foot space—in a building on the Gran Via in Madrid that also houses fast-fashion rivals H&M, Mango and the Inditex-owned Lefties—marks the Irish retailer’s 41st store in the country since it first entered the Spanish market in 2006.
On-trend women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as home goods and bedding, are spread over five floors, with 91 fitting rooms and 131 registers.
It’s second in size only to Primark’s monstrous store in the British city of Manchester (155,000 square feet) and nearly twice as big as the chain’s first stateside location.
“The new Gran Via store is a key store opening in the company’s business strategy in this country, occupying an historic site in the Spanish capital’s business and commercial hub,” said a spokesperson for the retailer, which is owned by Associated British Foods.
According to local media, some 6.6 million Spaniards shopped in Primark during the first eight months of 2014—more than in Inditex’s Zara. But Bernstein analyst Jamie Merriman told Reuters that Primark’s Spanish invasion hurts small retailers more than the conglomerate, which also owns Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius and Massimo Dutti.
“Spain is very interesting given that it is Inditex’s home turf, but so far there has been room for both retailers and we’re seeing continued consolidation. There is a surprising number of small retailers that are losing out,” she said.
Next on Primark’s quest for world domination: Italy, where the retailer plans to open its first store in the summer of 2016.