Inside Primark’s Dubai Mall global flagship: The prices, the pyjamas, and the plan

Dubai: There is something quietly defiant about opening a 7,000-square-metre fashion store in the middle of the ongoing regional uncertainty.

At the brand new Primark store in Dubai Mall, the first of its kind, racks are lined, tills are ready, and 601 employees stand poised for opening day. Outside, the world feels unsettled. Inside, it feels… oddly normal.

Or perhaps, intentionally so. “We’re very excited to open this particular store this coming Thursday,” John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group, told Gulf News while standing beneath the bright lights of the new Primark flagship in Dubai Mall.

It is big. It is busy. And it is full of clothes that feel soft to the touch and, more importantly, easy on the wallet.

Hadden is proudly wearing Primark from head to toe. Trainers included.

It is, in retrospect, the most efficient possible way to make a point. “I’m happy to shop here today dressed head to toe, including my trainers, in Primark,” he said, brimming with cautious optimism.

The numbers are impressive: 601 members of staff, 350,000 units of stock on the floor, 42 points of purchase, and multiple self-service checkout counters.

And it is opening this Thursday at 10 am, in the middle of what Hadden quietly acknowledges has been "a little bit more difficult" than anyone planned for.

However, according to Hadden, Alshaya has spent 18 months getting Primark to this moment, and a few turbulent weeks were not going to derail it on Thursday morning.

Primark began life in Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 — where it still trades under its original name, Penneys. It is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods, and as it expanded internationally, it became known as Primark.  

The model is simple: super-affordable prices, no discounting, no loyalty gimmicks. Just a very large shop full of very affordable clothes.

Kuwaiti retail conglomerate Alshaya Group has doubled down on growth over the past months, backing new brands like Primark and Ulta Beauty while continuing to invest in its broader retail portfolio across the UAE and Gulf markets.

18 months in the making

Alshaya Group is one of the Middle East’s most significant retail operators, the company behind dozens of international brands across the region, including Starbucks, H&M, American Eagle, Boots, COS, Charlotte Tilbury, and more.

"We’ve been planning this for 18 months," said Hadden. "It’s been 18 months in the creation — doing the agreement with Primark, deciding which stores to open, where to open, selecting the product. So actually, what’s happened over the last few weeks has been — it’s not that it hasn’t disrupted us, it has — but we’ve just found a way to get over it."

The store was fully merchandised ten days ago. The stock arrived in the UAE more than a month before opening. The supply chain, in other words, was already done before the disruption began in earnest.

The Dubai Mall store is, officially, a global flagship. Hadden said it carries exactly the same product as any Primark anywhere in the world — men’s, women’s, kids, lingerie, beauty, footwear, home — and it is launching the new spring collection at exactly the same time as Europe.

Given that most of the product originates in Asia, there's actually a possibility, Hadden said, that Dubai could receive new collections before London does.

"We’re hoping we could actually launch earlier," he said, "because most of the product comes in from Asia. So the idea here is that we will launch at least on time, if not before Europe,” he said.

Prices, prices, prices

T-shirts from Dh15 dirhams, men’s casual tops and shorts from Dh23, a full pyjama set for Dh75, and skinny jeans for Dh40.  In Kuwait, where Alshaya opened its first Primark, the pyjama section sold out in six days. "Primark told us about it," Hadden said during an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the new store, "and we expected it to be big, but not quite as big as it has been."

"The mantra is the best fashion at the best value," he said. "If you look at the quality of the product, the fashionability of the product, and then the prices — that’s what keeps Primark at the forefront of everything it does from a fashion perspective."

Checkout, loyalty, getting the stock in

The store has introduced self-service checkout — a feature first used by Alshaya's Primark in Kuwait. There are also over 42 manned points of purchase across the floor. The intention is speed: get in, find the thing, pay for the thing, go home.

Primark will also be integrated into Aura, Alshaya’s group-wide loyalty programme. Points earned in Primark work the same way as they do across other Alshaya brands.

On the question of supply chain, Hadden is measured but candid. The stock currently in store arrived before any recent disruptions. For the next few weeks, Alshaya is confident it has what it needs. Beyond that, contingency plans are in place: alternative routing through Oman, product being brought into Jeddah and trucked across, air freight where necessary.

"At the moment, for the next few weeks, we're fine," he said. "If this continues to prolong, then yeah, I think there will definitely be challenges on supply chain — particularly in our food business, as opposed to our non-food business, specifically with fresh produce. But for Primark and for the launch this week, we've got all the best products."

What’s next for Alshaya?

The Dubai Mall opening is, in Hadden’s words, just the beginning. Primark stores in Mirdif City Centre and a third major Dubai mall follow shortly after — three of the city's biggest retail destinations in a matter of weeks.

Beyond Primark, Alshaya is pressing ahead with the rollout of Ulta Beauty, the American beauty retailer, including a global flagship opening at Dubai Mall at the end of this week. Chipotle, Raising Cane’s, and Shake Shack continue to grow across the region.

"We're still committed on all of the brands that we want to grow," said Hadden. "We have Primark as a big growth driver for us, and also Ulta Beauty. And then many of the food brands — Chipotle, Raising Cane's, Shake Shack — we’ll continue the growth story of those brands as well."

As for new brands, Hadden is typically careful: nothing to announce, but the search is constant. "We're always looking at new brands, always looking to bring newness in to suit the demands of our customers. More to come in the future — but nothing to announce at this stage."

The UAE will recover

And on the bigger picture — the uncertainty, the disruption, the question of whether this is quite the right moment to be opening global flagships — Hadden offers the sort of perspective that comes from two and a half decades in one city.

"I’ve been in Dubai now for 25 years, and I’ve seen all the ups and downs," he said. "I think Dubai will come back stronger. I truly believe that. And as a company, we truly believe that, and we’re very, very proud to be part of the UAE story." Primark Dubai Mall opens Thursday at 10 am.