Primark renamed ‘Preemark’ to celebrate Scottish anniversary

Primark is celebrating its 50th anniversary in Scotland by temporarily rebranding its Scottish stores as ‘Preemark’ in homage to how the fashion retailer is referred to locally.

Each of the 21 stores in the country will receive a special Scottish Primark makeover with temporary ‘Preemark’ signs and window displays, inspired by a social media debate earlier this year that showed Scots were widely known to pronounce the brand as ‘Pr-EE-mark’.

The value retailer first opened its doors in Scotland in Hamilton in 1975, and to this day, the Hamilton store remains the smallest Primark in the UK at just 9,300 square feet. Primark now has 21 stores across Scotland’s towns, city centres and retail parks, and employs more than 2,637 retail colleagues.

Over the last three years, Primark has invested more than 20 million pounds across its Scottish stores, with a further 9 million pounds planned over the next two years. This year alone, this has included upgrades to its stores in Clydebank, Hamilton, Stirling and Irvine, as well as the introduction of self-service checkouts and the national rollout of click-and-collect to all stores in the country. Last year, the retailer opened its brand-new 33,500-square-foot store in Glasgow Fort to queues of 1,000 eager shoppers in December 2024.

The 1990s saw the retailer growing its presence in the region, opening two stores, first in Motherwell in 1995, followed by Clydebank in 1999. From 2001, there was a wave of new stores in quick succession across Stirling, Braehead, Aberdeen and Dundee, before Primark opened its first Glasgow store on Sauchiehall Street in 2002. But it was in 2006 when it acquired Littlewoods that it added six new Primark stores in just over six months.

Kari Rodgers, UK retail director for Primark, said in a statement: “The high streets and fashion have changed a lot over five decades in Scotland, and Primark has been there every step of the way. As we’ve evolved to meet this change in demand, our commitment to offering people great quality clothing at affordable prices is stronger than ever.

“There is such pride in our stores in Scotland and our customers feel it too, so it’s fantastic to be celebrating such an important milestone together. Over the last three years we’ve invested more than 20 million pounds in our stores across Scotland and we’ve a further 9 million pounds planned over the next two years to improve our stores and support the future of Scottish retail.”

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the Scottish Retail Consortium, added: “Primark's 50th birthday in Scotland marks a vote of confidence in Scotland's high streets and retail destinations. We know vibrant and successful town and city centres depend on an interconnected eco-system comprising the full range of retail options from small independent retailers to national chains.

“Those larger businesses help drive footfall to those high streets as well as supporting the local community and providing vital employment. It's vital Scotland continues to attract investment from businesses like Primark to ensure our high streets remain economically sustainable."