Primark’s first store opened under the name Penneys in Dublin in 1969.
The store was launched by the Irish company that became associated with affordable clothing and fast-changing merchandise. The Penneys name remains used in the Republic of Ireland, while the company trades as Primark in other markets because the name was already associated with another retailer in some countries.
The first shop was located on Mary Street in Dublin. Primark later expanded across the United Kingdom and continental Europe, emphasizing high-volume stores and low prices rather than an extensive online sales operation.
Penneys and Primark are therefore not two unrelated retailers. They are names used by the same retail business in different markets. The company is part of Associated British Foods, whose other activities include food manufacturing and agriculture, making the retailer unusual within a diversified corporate group.